Softball Game Preview: Hillside Hornets vs. Chapel Hill Tigers

Hillside is 1-9 against Chapel Hill since March of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Hornets will square off against the Tigers at 6:00 p.m. Hillside is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.

Hillside is headed into Wednesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They fell 9-6 to East Chapel Hill.

Maliya Blandford

Stolen Base

04/08/25 @ East Chapel Hill	2
03/27/25 @ Northern Durham	2
03/25/25 vs Riverside-Durham	1
03/06/25 vs South Garner	3
03/04/25 vs Southern School of Energy and Sustainability	2
+ 3 more games

Maliya Blandford was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last eight games she's played dating back to last season. Jaylin Robinson was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Chapel Hill scored first but ultimately less than Northern Durham in their match on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 7-5. The Tigers' defeat continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.

Jillian Evans made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 3-for-4. That run marked the first that she scored this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Charlie Carter, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double.

Chapel Hill now has a losing record of 5-6. As for Hillside, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.

Chapel Hill's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hillside hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .407. It's a different story for Chapel Hill, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Hillside's hitters?

Hillside came up short against Chapel Hill in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 10-5. Can the Hornets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.