Softball Game Preview: Southern Wayne Saints vs. South Johnston Trojans

Southern Wayne is 0-8 against South Johnston since March of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Southern Wayne Saints will host the South Johnston Trojans at 7:00 p.m. Southern Wayne has given up an average of 19.4 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Southern Wayne is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their tenth straight game dating back to last season on Tuesday. They came up short against Hunt, falling 24-3.

Southern Wayne saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Morgan Brimberry, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.

Meanwhile, South Johnston came tearing into Tuesday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 13-3 margin over the Golden Falcons. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by ten runs or more this season.

Ava Strickland made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, Reese Penny was a standout: she scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Olivia Crumpler, who scored three runs while going 3-for-4.

South Johnston kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive matchups.

South Johnston pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Southern Wayne, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.

Southern Wayne suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to South Johnston when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Southern Wayne avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.