The Union Pines Vikings will challenge the St. Pauls Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Union Pines has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Things were looking good for Union Pines after they put the first points on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Gray's Creek by a score of 5-4. The Vikings have struggled against the Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meetings.
Union Pines saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dylan Benedict, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. David Park also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Pauls got themselves on the board against Lakewood on Wednesday, but Lakewood never followed suit. They were the clear victor by an 8-0 margin over the Leopards. The Bulldogs not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since February 29, 2024.
Jaylen Jacobs was a standout: he got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three RBI and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Zayin Hunt, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 1-for-3.
St. Pauls always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .579. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
The win got St. Pauls back to even at 2-2-1. As for Union Pines, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Union Pines has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Pauls struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Union Pines took their victory against St. Pauls when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 19-2. Will Union Pines repeat their success, or does St. Pauls have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
