The Pinecrest Patriots will square off against the Gray's Creek Bears on Friday. Pinecrest's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Gray's Creek's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Pinecrest is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Athens Drive get on the board and left with a 4-0 win.
Bohdi Robertson
| 05/06/25 vs Athens Drive | 12 |
| 04/29/25 vs Southern Lee | 6 |
| 04/23/25 vs Union Pines | 11 |
| 04/15/25 vs Laney | 9 |
| 04/10/25 @ Hoke County | 11 |
The result came thanks to Bohdi Robertson's shutout, as he gave up just four hits and racked up 12 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Mitch Baek, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run. Eythan Reynolds was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Gray's Creek came tearing into Tuesday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Bengals.
Gray's Creek saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gunner Sterling, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Gray's Creek pushed their record up to 18-8 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Pinecrest, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pinecrest has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gray's Creek 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.
Pinecrest couldn't quite finish off Gray's Creek in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
