Riverside-Durham and Northern Durham are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. The Pirates will be playing at home against the Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Riverside-Durham barely beat East Chapel Hill the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Pirates never let the Wildcats get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Pirates considering their two-run performance the match before.
Lucas Setji
| 04/25/25 @ East Chapel Hill | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Hillside | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Jordan | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Chapel Hill | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Hillside | 1 |
Lucas Setji was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Brayden Mottola was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Northern Durham came into Monday's contest having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over Vance Charter on Monday.
J.P. Rodio made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Rodio was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Dylan Guerrette was excellent, going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Another player making a difference was J.D. Williams, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Northern Durham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Riverside-Durham's win bumped their record up to 14-2. As for Northern Durham, their victory bumped their record up to 9-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Riverside-Durham has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northern Durham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Riverside-Durham skirted past Northern Durham 11-10 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Pirates repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
