The Ripley Vikings will square off against the Shady Spring Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Ripley's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Shady Spring has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Ripley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Cabell Midland, who was ranked 14th at the time (Ripley was ranked 25th). Ripley's pitcher stepped up to hand Cabell Midland a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since March 30, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Jackson Curry and Bryson Casto did most of the damage at the plate: Curry went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Casto scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That triple was Curry's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Phalen, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Shady Spring fell victim to Hoover and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They came up short against the Huskies, falling 10-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Tigers have suffered since May 2, 2024.
Ripley's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Shady Spring, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3-1.
Shady Spring's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ripley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. It's a different story for Shady Spring, though, as they've only averaged .357. Will they be able to contain Ripley's hitters?
Everything went Ripley's way against Shady Spring when the teams last played back in March of 2016, as Ripley made off with a 15-0 win. Will Ripley repeat their success, or does Shady Spring has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
