The North Central Knights will challenge the Dreher Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. North Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
North Central's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They walked away with a 5-0 win over Cheraw. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Braves recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Mackenzie Melton
| 03/21/25 @ Cheraw | 14 |
| 03/20/25 vs McBee | 16 |
| 03/18/25 vs Camden | 11 |
| 03/12/25 @ Camden | 6 |
| 03/01/25 vs Indian Land | 5 |
The result came thanks to Mackenzie Melton's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, North Central saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carleigh Wallace, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Peyton Sims also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Dreher). Everything went their way against South Pointe on Thursday as Dreher made off with a 25-17 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Blue Devils.
Rory McCormack was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and six unearned) runs off ten hits. Those 16 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, scoring six runs and stealing a base while getting on base in six of her eight plate appearances. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 2.2 runs per game.
In other batting news, Jameelah Warren was a standout: she went 4-for-6 with six RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Kendall Gipson was another key player, getting on base in three of her six plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Dreher hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Pointe struck out 17 times.
North Central's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Dreher, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. North Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Dreher struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went North Central's way against Dreher in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as North Central made off with a 15-0 win. Will North Central repeat their success, or does Dreher has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
