Softball Game Preview: North Duplin Rebels vs. Vance Charter Knights

The North Duplin Rebels will square off against the Vance Charter Knights on Friday. North Duplin will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.

North Duplin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over River Mill. Considering the Rebels have won nine matchups by more than 14 runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Vance Charter won against Oxford Prep on Thursday with seven runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Knights beat East Bladen by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Knights.

Leah Rice made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aubrey Puryear, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.

North Duplin pushed their record up to 13-3 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.9 runs over those games. As for Vance Charter, their record is now 12-4.