New Bern is 2-8 against South Central since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bears will welcome the Falcons at 6:00 p.m. New Bern is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
New Bern's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Northside - Jacksonville 15-0. The result was nothing new for the Bears, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Anna Champey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Champey was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, New Bern let Ellie Poston and Lainey Aldridge run wild. Poston scored a run and stole a base, while Aldridge scored two runs and stole two bases. Those two stolen bases gave Aldridge a new career-high. Megan McGuire was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in both of her plate appearances.
New Bern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Northside - Jacksonville only posted an OBP of .000.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for South Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top against J.H. Rose by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday.
South Central saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Coward, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Another was Kailey Garner, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
New Bern's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for South Central, their win bumped their record up to 8-5.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. New Bern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like South Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Bern couldn't quite get it done against South Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 8-5. Will the Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
