The Goldsboro Cougars will face off against the Eastern Wayne Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Eastern Wayne took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Goldsboro, who comes in off a win.
Goldsboro headed into their last contest having not scored more than two runs for three straight, but Spring Creek let them put that streak behind them. The Cougars' pitchers stepped up to hand the Gators a 15-0 shutout on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Brayden Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in February.
Avery Grant
| 04/29/25 vs Spring Creek | 3 |
| 04/03/25 @ Beddingfield | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Eastern Wayne | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Beddingfield | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Village Christian Academy | 2 |
| + 10 more games |
In other batting news, Avery Grant was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Goldsboro is 4-2 when Grant posts two or more runs, but 3-12 otherwise. Gray Seegars was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Goldsboro was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Spring Creek only posted a batting average of .188.
Meanwhile, Eastern Wayne was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 20th straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against North Johnston, falling 15-0. Having soared to a lofty 14 runs in the game before, the Warriors' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Eastern Wayne's defeat dropped their record down to 0-16. As for Goldsboro, their win bumped their record up to 7-14.
Eastern Wayne's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Goldsboro hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. It's a different story for Eastern Wayne, though, as they've only averaged .133. Will they be able to contain Goldsboro's hitters?
Goldsboro took their victory against Eastern Wayne when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 20-1 score. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
