Buccaneers
| 03/18/25 vs Ashley | 5 |
| 03/15/25 @ Green Hope | 12 |
| 03/14/25 vs South Brunswick | 10 |
| 03/11/25 @ West Brunswick | 10 |
| 03/08/25 vs Pinecrest | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Laney and Hoggard are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Laney Buccaneers will head out to challenge the Hoggard Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Laney is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Laney easily dispatched Green Hope on Saturday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Laney fell just short of Ashley by a score of 7-5 on Tuesday. The Buccaneers have struggled against the Screaming Eagle recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meetings.
Jackson Noon made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he hit this season. Jason Sproull was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Noon wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Laney kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hoggard sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Swansboro on Wednesday. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Pirates recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Preston Smith made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Smith wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brandon Bush, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. Hoggard is undefeated when Bush posts two or more runs, but 1-5 otherwise.
The victory got Hoggard back to even at 5-5. As for Laney, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Laney has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hoggard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Laney beat Hoggard 5-2 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will Laney repeat their success, or does Hoggard have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
