Softball Game Preview: Union Academy Cardinals vs. South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls

The Union Academy Cardinals will take on the South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Union Academy barely beat South Stanly the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cardinals never let the Rowdy Rebel Bulls get on the board and left with a 9-0 win two weeks ago. The Cardinals' victory was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.

Avery Wilson

Batters Struck Out

04/17/25 vs South Stanly	9
04/15/25 @ South Stanly	15
04/11/25 vs Mount Pleasant	16
04/10/25 @ Mount Pleasant	8
04/02/25 vs Providence	16
+ 13 more games

Not much got past Avery Wilson, who gave up just four hits and racked up nine Ks to keep South Stanly off the board. Wilson has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Paisley Boatright, who went 2-for-3 with two triples, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Taylor Surratt, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one double.

Union Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Stanly only posted an OBP of .241.

South Stanly is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-12 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Union Academy, they pushed their record up to 21-0 with the victory, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Union Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like South Stanly struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.