The Wake Forest Cougars will face off against the Northern Durham Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Wake Forest knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Northern Durham likes a good challenge.
On Friday, Wake Forest made easy work of Franklinton and carried off a 16-2 win. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by eight runs or more this season.
Carson Crider looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
Stephen Crater
| 04/17/26 vs Franklinton | 3 |
| 03/26/26 vs East Wake | 2 |
| 03/17/26 vs Vance County | 2 |
| 03/13/26 @ Grace Christian | 2 |
| 03/05/26 @ Apex Friendship | 2 |
At the plate, Wake Forest let Stephen Crater and Hunter Kisse run wild. Crater got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Kisse went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three runs gave Crater a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Easton Booser, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Wake Forest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Northern Durham lost 12-4 to Chapel Hill on Friday. The defeat continues a trend for the Knights in their meetings with the Tigers: they've now lost five in a row.
Liam Hawkes was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Wake Forest's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-2. As for Northern Durham, their loss dropped their record down to 4-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wake Forest has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northern Durham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Wake Forest got the 'W' when the teams last played back in March of 2025 against Northern Durham by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
