Softball Game Preview: Hillside Hornets vs. East Chapel Hill Wildcats

Hillside hasn't had much luck against East Chapel Hill recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 5:00 p.m. Hillside is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.

Hillside fell victim to Northern Durham and their airtight pitching crew last Thursday. They came up short against the Knights, falling 10-0. The Hornets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Maliya Blandford

Stolen Base

03/27/25 @ Northern Durham	2
03/25/25 vs Riverside-Durham	1
03/06/25 vs South Garner	3
03/04/25 vs Southern School of Energy and Sustainability	2
02/28/25 @ Durham School of the Arts	3
+ 2 more games

Hillside saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maliya Blandford, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases. Blandford is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games she's played dating back to last season. Bailey Foster also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Meanwhile, East Chapel Hill lost 17-7 to Jordan last Thursday.

Lauren Steiner was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Esha Kamath, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Hillside's loss dropped their record down to 5-2. As for East Chapel Hill, they dropped their record down to 2-5 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight at home.

Hillside's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's match. The Hornets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for East Chapel Hill, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hillside continue to outrun the ball?

Hillside might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from East Chapel Hill when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Hornets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.