Nottoway is 1-9 against Buckingham since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cougars will head out to face off against the Knights at 5:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Nottoway is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 14-5 margin over Cumberland on Tuesday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 27, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Trent Hayes was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over 5.1 innings pitched. He also allowed no hits, which is notable because Nottoway is 2-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 2-9 otherwise. Hayes was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Jahmarion Wright
| 05/06/25 @ Cumberland | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Prince Edward County | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Nandua | 1 |
| 03/13/25 @ Southampton | 1 |
In other batting news, Jahmarion Wright was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those two runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Bradley Hamilton, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Buckingham put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Randolph-Henry 9-1. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Like Nottoway, Buckingham also got a great game from a two-way player: Avery Schaeffer. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Schaeffer has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ethan Walter and Trey Jones did most of the damage at the plate: Walter went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI, while Jones went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Dawson Edwards was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Buckingham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Buckingham pushed their record up to 12-0 with the win, which was their 15th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Nottoway, their win ended a 14-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Nottoway has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Buckingham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Nottoway suffered a grim 22-3 defeat to Buckingham in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
