For the second straight game, South Granville will face off against North Lenoir. The Vikings will host the Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (South Granville 2.8, North Lenoir 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
South Granville heads in on the heels of a playoff game on Wednesday. They came up short against North Lenoir, falling 13-4. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Vikings, who until this matchup were averaging 2.75 runs allowed.
For North Lenoir's part, Maddie Rouse was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Rouse was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. What's more, she posted three hits, the most she's had since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jayla Ross, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Lakyn Whitley, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
North Lenoir always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive contests.
North Lenoir is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for South Granville, their defeat ended a nine-game streak of away wins and brought them to 23-5.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. South Granville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .454. However, it's not like North Lenoir struggles in that department as they've averaged .402. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
