Handley took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Valley, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Tigers narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Rams 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted since April 5, 2025.

Skylar Hester
| 02/20/26 - Away | 4 |
| 03/07/26 - Away | 1 |
Skylar Hester spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits. Handley is undefeated when Hester allows one or fewer earned runs, but 1-4 otherwise.
At the plate, Zae Dunson was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run.
Handley has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Valley, with the defeat, they broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 4-3-1.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Handley will take on Talladega at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Valley, they will challenge Benjamin Russell at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps