North Stokes hasn't had much luck against East Wilkes recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Vikings will face off against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
North Stokes was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Mount Airy on Monday. The Vikings put the hurt on the Granite Bears with a sharp 14-1 win. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Granite Bears recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Rori Long was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Madelyn Spencer was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, East Wilkes came tearing into Thursday's game with 15 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Rams. That's two games straight that the Cardinals have won by just one run.
Chloe Andrews made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gracelynn Whitt, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Lilly Hendren, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
East Wilkes' win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for North Stokes, their record now sits at 6-13-1.
North Stokes might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from East Wilkes in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
