vs
| 04/24/25 - Home | 10-1 W |
| 04/23/24 - Away | 6-5 W |
| 03/21/24 - Home | 1-3 L |
| 04/25/23 - Away | 1-5 L |
| 03/23/23 - Home | 4-7 L |
| + 5 more games |
Apex Friendship and Apex are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Patriots will take on the Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Apex will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Apex Friendship extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. The Patriots put the hurt on Cary with a sharp 18-3 win. The Patriots' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Riley Weaver made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Weaver was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Hannah Parker and Sydney Joyce did most of the damage at the plate: Parker went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run, while Joyce went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Parker has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Marquis, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs.
Apex Friendship was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .529. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .364 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Apex got the win against Green Hope on Tuesday by a conclusive 8-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.
Audrey Mulaski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Leah Kendall, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two doubles. The team also got some help courtesy of Libby Austin, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Apex Friendship's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Apex, their record is now 11-7.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Apex Friendship has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .466. However, it's not like Apex struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Apex Friendship took their victory against Apex in their previous matchup on Thursday by a conclusive 10-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
