The Madison Patriots will take on the North Buncombe Black Hawks at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Buncombe took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Madison, who comes in off a win.
Madison's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 16-0 margin over Avery County. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Patriots' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Carrie Gunter made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Madison got a massive performance out of Shelby Roberts, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Those two hits gave Roberts a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Layla Rhinehart, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when North Buncombe and A.C. Reynolds meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. North Buncombe fell just short of A.C. Reynolds by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Black Hawks have suffered since March 12, 2024.
Sadie Jo Hunter spent all 11 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 24 Ks. Those 24 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, North Buncombe saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lilly Clark, who scored a run while going 2-for-5. Gracelynn Fisher also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Madison's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for North Buncombe, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
Madison couldn't quite get it done against North Buncombe when the teams last played back in March of 2024 as they fell 4-0. Will Madison 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.
