Pinecrest is a perfect 10-0 against Southern Lee since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Pinecrest Patriots will be playing at home against the Southern Lee Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. Pinecrest is coming into the match hot, having won their last six games.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Pinecrest and Purnell Swett, and Pinecrest kept the tradition alive. Pinecrest sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over Purnell Swett on Wednesday. That's two games straight that the Patriots have won by exactly two runs.
Taylor Graves
| 03/19/25 vs Purnell Swett | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs Wilmington Christian Academy | 2 |
| 03/04/25 vs Millbrook | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Apex Friendship | 1 |
Taylor Graves tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 4.1 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Liam Dutton, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Seth Norris was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Southern Lee). They were the clear victor by a 19-3 margin over Jordan-Matthews on Wednesday. With that victory, the Cavaliers brought their scoring average up to 7 runs per game.
Bailey Berg made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Berg was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Those hits were his first of the season.
In other batting news, Spencer Stephens was a standout: he scored two runs and stole Two bases. while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Bryan McCollum, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Southern Lee is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. Pinecrest's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pinecrest has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Southern Lee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pinecrest skirted past Southern Lee 4-2 in their previous meeting on Tuesday. Will Pinecrest repeat their success, or does Southern Lee have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
