Union Pines hasn't had much luck against Lee County recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Vikings will venture away from home to challenge the Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Union Pines turned things around against Montgomery Central on Friday. They walked away with a 5-2 victory over the Timberwolves.
Dylan Benedict spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on David Park, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since April 1st. Kaeden Sovey was another key player, earning two runs and three stolen bases.
Southern Lee typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Lee County proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top against the Cavaliers by a score of 4-1. The game was the first time the Yellow Jackets have beaten the Cavaliers on their field since April 26, 2022.
Drew Stanfield was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over 5.2 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Gavin Swann was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Jack Martin also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Lee County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive matches.
Union Pines' record is now 9-13. As for Lee County, the win got them back to even at 12-12.
Union Pines skirted past Lee County 4-3 in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Yellow Jackets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
