The Apex Friendship Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Willow Spring Storm at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Apex Friendship has seven straight victories, Willow Spring has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Apex Friendship's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They blew past Green Hope 13-0. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won eight matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Riley Weaver made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Weaver was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, Sydney Joyce and Brianna Spero did most of the damage at the plate: Joyce went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Spero went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Makenzie Spero also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Apex Friendship hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Willow Spring lost 13-2 to Garner on Thursday.
Willow Spring saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lily Holder, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Georgia Miller was another, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Apex Friendship's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Willow Spring, they now have a losing record of 7-8.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Apex Friendship has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .470. However, it's not like Willow Spring struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Apex Friendship beat Willow Spring 6-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
