Cape Fear is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Lumberton is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. Cape Fear will host Lumberton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Cape Fear 2.8, Lumberton 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Cape Fear barely beat Gray's Creek the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Cape Fear put the hurt on Gray's Creek with a sharp 8-1 win on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Colts, who have now won five matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Logan Rayburn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
Landon Underwood
| 03/25/25 vs Gray's Creek | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs South View | 1 |
| 03/19/25 vs Midway | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Jack Britt | 1 |
| 03/14/25 @ Douglas Byrd | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Landon Underwood, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last eight games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jackson Rainey, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Underwood wasn't the only one working in the home run department: Cape Fear lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Lumberton sidestepped Purnell Swett for a 3-2 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Pirates have posted against the Rams since April 29, 2022.
Lumberton also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Landon Claar gave up just two earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Lumberton's victory was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Brody Stueck, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Cape Fear has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. Lumberton's victory bumped their record up to 8-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cape Fear has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Lumberton struggles in that department as they've averaged .456. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cape Fear couldn't quite get it done against Lumberton in their previous meeting on March 4th as they fell 10-7. Will Cape Fear have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
