Softball Recap: North Central's Run of Three Straight Victories Now Over

North Central dropped their record down to 15-7 on Friday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Ninety Six Wildcats. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Knights' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Mackenzie Melton

Batters Struck Out

05/09/25 vs Ninety Six	8
05/07/25 vs Landrum	11
05/02/25 vs Chesterfield	7
05/01/25 @ Andrew Jackson	10
04/28/25 @ Chesterfield	5
+ 2 more games

Mackenzie Melton spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.

As for Ninety Six, they have been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games.

On Ninety Six's side, the result came thanks to Meghan Kimberling's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up six Ks.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jocelyn Coleman, who went 3-for-4 with one run and one double.

Coming up, North Central will square off against Clinton at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Ninety Six does not have any more games scheduled as of now.