The Mathews Blue Devils baseball team returned to the diamond on Monday after being off for two weeks for Mathews’ spring break and the break of other competitors. The Devils hosted the Nandua Warriors, struggling to regain momentum, falling in a tough 16-0 loss.

Freshman Brandon Hubbard got the start on the mound, throwing 83 pitches over three and two-thirds innings. Despite recording an impressive seven strikeouts, Hubbard allowed nine runs—most of which were unearned due to errors from his defense.

Sophomore Treye Church came in as relief to finish the game, striking out two batters while surrendering three earned runs.

Defensively, junior Chase Ambrose provided a bright spot for the Blue Devils in his first varsity start at second base, making several solid plays in the field.

Offensively, Mathews had difficulty at the plate. The Devils struck out 12 times against Nandua’s starting lefthanded pitcher. Hubbard accounted for the team’s only hit of the game, as the Devils were held scoreless.

The Blue Devils were also without several key players in their lineup. They look to regroup and improve their performance when they travel to King William today, Thursday, April 16, to take on the Cavaliers.