Valwood hasn't had much luck against Tiftarea Academy recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Valiants will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Valwood's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Deerfield-Windsor with a sharp 12-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Valiants, who have now won eight games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Ella Blease
| 09/30/25 vs Deerfield-Windsor | 3 |
| 08/28/25 @ Crisp Academy | 2 |
| 09/24/24 vs Citizens Christian Academy | 2 |
| 08/27/24 vs Crisp Academy | 2 |
| 09/16/25 @ Tiftarea Academy | 1 |
Valwood let Ella Blease and Devin Williams run wild. Blease went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Williams got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. Those three RBI gave Blease a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Abi Brooks, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Valwood always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. They are 8-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Tiftarea Academy made easy work of Brookwood on Tuesday and carried off an 11-1 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Summer Gray made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Cloe Sercer was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and four RBI. Those runs were her first of the season. Carmen Corkern was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs.
Tiftarea Academy's win bumped their record up to 8-6. As for Valwood, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.
Tiftarea Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Valwood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .482. It's a different story for Tiftarea Academy, though, as they've only averaged .357. Will they be able to contain Valwood's hitters?
Valwood came out on top in a nail-biter against Tiftarea Academy when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 8-6. Will the Valiants repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
