Softball Preview: Apex Friendship Patriots vs. Middle Creek Mustangs
The Apex Friendship Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Middle Creek Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Apex Friendship is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 11.5 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Apex Friendship narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Holly Springs 6-4.
Sydney Joyce spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Lauren Archambault, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Meanwhile, Middle Creek owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Wednesday. They came out on top against Sanderson by a score of 3-0. The win was just what Middle Creek needed coming off of a 15-3 loss in their prior contest.
The result came thanks to Brooke Boyette's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Leah Gore, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Apex Friendship's record now sits at 9-2. As for Middle Creek, they pushed their record up to 4-8 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
Middle Creek's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Apex Friendship has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Middle Creek, though, as they've been averaging 8.8. Given Apex Friendship's sizable advantage in that area, Middle Creek will need to find a way to close that gap.
Apex Friendship came out on top in a nail-biter against Middle Creek in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 10-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for Apex Friendship since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
