The Blacksburg Bruins will take on the Hidden Valley Titans at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Blacksburg is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.
Blacksburg came out on top against Salem on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run sixth inning. The Bruins blew past the Spartans 9-2.
Blacksburg let Jack Mann and Major Marshall run wild. Mann went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one run, while Marshall got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs. Another player making a difference was Keefer Caldwell, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hidden Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Patrick Henry 9-8. The win continues a trend for the Titans in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now won eight in a row.
Wyatt Clarke was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Hidden Valley is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-3 otherwise. Clarke was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Carter Perkins was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Ryan Walding was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Blacksburg pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Hidden Valley, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Blacksburg has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hidden Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Blacksburg's way against Hidden Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Blacksburg made off with an 11-1 win. Will the Bruins repeat their success, or do the Titans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
