Softball Game Preview: New Bern Bears vs. Apex Cougars

The New Bern Bears will head out to challenge the Apex Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

While New Bern's victory against Havelock wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. New Bern narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Havelock 7-6. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Anna Champey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing Four bases. while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.

Ki'Mya Sutton

Hits (Career)

03/04/25 @ Havelock	3
04/01/24 vs Swansboro	2
03/18/24 @ Ashley	2
02/28/25 @ Swansboro	1
05/02/24 vs Havelock	1

In other batting news, New Bern let Ki'Mya Sutton and Ellie Poston run wild. Sutton scored two runs while going 3-for-5, while Poston scored two runs while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance gave Sutton a new career-high in hits.

Meanwhile, Apex had just enough and edged out Union Pines 6-4 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.

Like New Bern, Apex also got a great game from a two-way player: Audrey Mulaski. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Mulaski was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Leah Kendall, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 1-for-2. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Lauren McMahon, who scored a run and stole a base.

New Bern's record now sits at 3-0. As for Apex, their record is now 2-0.