The Orange Panthers will square off against the Terry Sanford Bulldogs on Friday. Orange is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games.
Orange is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over Eastern Alamance.
Ryan Sawyer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
Henry Hoffman
| 05/06/25 vs Eastern Alamance | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ Eastern Alamance | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Jordan | 2 |
| 02/26/25 vs Chapel Hill | 2 |
| 05/01/25 vs Eastern Alamance | 1 |
| + 8 more games |
On the hitting side, Orange let Gary Miller and Henry Hoffman run wild. Miller went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, while Hoffman went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Hoffman is becoming a predictor of Orange's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 10-11 when he doesn't).
Fans were treated to a battle of the Bulldogs on Tuesday. Terry Sanford put the hurt on Dixon with a sharp 20-2 victory. The result was nothing new for Terry Sanford, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Josh Hart looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April.
At the plate, Terry Sanford got a massive performance out of Josh Mozingo, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs Mozingo has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Gibson Bray, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Terry Sanford always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .650. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dixon only posted an OBP of .318.
Terry Sanford is on a roll lately: they've won 17 of their last 19 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Orange, their record now sits at 14-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Orange has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Terry Sanford struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Orange came up short against Terry Sanford in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 4-0. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
