Softball Preview: Durham Academy Cavaliers vs. North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights
Durham Academy is 0-10 against North Raleigh Christian Academy since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Durham Academy Cavaliers will head out on the road to take on the North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights at 6:30 p.m.
Durham Academy is is headed into Tuesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 12th straight game dating back to last season on Friday. Their tough 23-12 defeat to Ravenscroft might stick with them for a while.
Vera Ruth and Matelon Barber stepped up to the plate in a big way. Ruth scored a run while going 1-for-2, while Barber scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Ry Tarpey, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, North Raleigh Christian Academy beat Wesleyan Christian Academy 5-1 on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for North Raleigh Christian Academy.
Ava Hodges made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. Hodges has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Hodges was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Bella Gibb was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Taylor Gardener was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
Durham Academy's loss dropped their record down to 0-11. As for North Raleigh Christian Academy, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Durham Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .493. However, it's not like North Raleigh Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .519. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Durham Academy might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from North Raleigh Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in March. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of North Raleigh Christian Academy's Skyluhr Hulbert, who struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Now that Durham Academy knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
