vs
| 05/07/24 - Home | 7-6 W |
| 04/28/23 - Home | 1-3 L |
| 04/06/23 - Away | 4-2 W |
| 05/03/22 - Away | 7-4 W |
| 04/04/22 - Home | 6-4 W |
| + 5 more games |
Kingston is 9-1 against Valley Central since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Vikings at 11:00 a.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Kingston is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Warwick on Wednesday. The Tigers skirted past the Wildcats 6-5. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Preston Provenzano made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Provenzano was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other pitching news, Jack Purvis looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
Back at the plate, Jake Martino was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. Wade Holsapple was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Valley Central ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Port Jervis. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.
Like Kingston, Valley Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Luke Watson. Throwing, Watson struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Caleb Swart struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. At bat, Watson scored three runs while going 1-for-5, while Swart scored a run while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances. Watson also put up an RBI, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Justin Freeman and Mason McDonald did most of the damage at the plate: Freeman scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances, while McDonald went 3-for-5 with one stolen base and one RBI. Freeman also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Nathan Welt, who scored a run while going 1-for-5.
The win got Valley Central back to even at 3-3. As for Kingston, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-1-1.
Kingston's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Tigers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Valley Central, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Kingston continue to outrun the ball?
Kingston skirted past Valley Central 7-6 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
