Softball Game Preview: North Johnston Panthers vs. Spring Creek Gators

North Johnston has gone a perfect 7-0 against Spring Creek recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Gators at 6:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

As a matter of fact, North Johnston put up the most points they have all season on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Princeton as they made off with a 17-7 win. The Panthers have beaten the Bulldogs the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Bulldogs has come to flipping the script.

Victoria Sasser was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024.

Camden Ford

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/01/25 vs Princeton	5
03/25/25 @ Goldsboro	4
04/09/24 @ Goldsboro	3
04/08/24 @ Beddingfield	3
04/23/24 vs Beddingfield	2

In other batting news, Camden Ford was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Kathryn Pitts was another key player, scoring four runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

North Johnston always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, while Spring Creek put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Beddingfield. The Gators were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Bruins. Considering the Gators have won six matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Spring Creek's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 12.7 runs this season. As for North Johnston, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

North Johnston came out on top in a nail-biter against Spring Creek when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.