The Hoke County Bucks will take on the Union Pines Vikings at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hoke County's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They put the hurt on Southern Lee with a sharp 10-0 victory. The Bucks haven't had any issues with the Cavaliers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Bailey Mass
| 04/28/25 vs Southern Lee | 4 |
| 03/12/25 @ Red Springs | 3 |
| 03/06/25 vs Red Springs | 3 |
| 03/20/24 @ Pinecrest | 3 |
| 04/10/25 vs Union Pines | 2 |
Bailey Mass was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was McKenzie Freeman, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Hoke County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Union Pines had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Monday. They blew past the Yellow Jackets 13-3. That's two games straight that the Vikings have won by exactly ten runs.
Kaitlyn Blue looked comfortable as she tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Elizabeth Andrews, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Madison Stein was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Union Pines' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-8. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Hoke County, their victory bumped their record up to 17-5.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hoke County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. However, it's not like Union Pines struggles in that department as they've averaged .470. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hoke County skirted past Union Pines 6-5 in their previous matchup on April 10th. Do the Bucks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
