The Chapel Hill Tigers will face off against the East Chapel Hill Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Chapel Hill turned things around against Hillside on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Hornets a 17-0 shutout.
Alexandra (Kes) Duncan was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Jillian Evans, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Chapel Hill always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .800. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, East Chapel Hill had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They put the hurt on the Pirates with a sharp 11-3 win.
McKenna White made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Anna Grabowski, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Lauren Steiner was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Chapel Hill's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 6-7. As for East Chapel Hill, the win got them back to even at 5-5.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Chapel Hill has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like East Chapel Hill struggles in that department as they've averaged .472. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Chapel Hill might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from East Chapel Hill in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
