The Kerr-Vance Academy Spartans will take on the Ridgecroft Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Kerr-Vance Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Halifax Academy a 5-0 shutout. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.
Nathan McDaniel made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on MJ Wright, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. Jaxton Stokes was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Ridgecroft hadn't done well against Pungo Christian Academy recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Rams walked away with a 7-3 win over the Raiders. The Rams haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Like Kerr-Vance Academy, Ridgecroft also got a great game from a two-way player: Dawson Collins. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. Collins was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Ridgecroft's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-7 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Noah Williams was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Forest Kea, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Ridgecroft pushed their record up to 13-7 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Kerr-Vance Academy, their win bumped their record up to 9-14.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Kerr-Vance Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ridgecroft struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
