Middle Creek and Holly Springs are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Middle Creek Mustangs will host the Holly Springs Golden Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Middle Creek 3.1, Holly Springs 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Middle Creek easily dispatched Enloe last Wednesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Middle Creek fell just short of Apex Friendship by a score of 5-3 on Thursday. The Mustangs' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Gabe Murray
| 03/13/25 @ Apex Friendship | 1 |
| 03/07/25 @ Green Hope | 1 |
| 02/28/25 vs Overhills | 0 |
Gabe Murray was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Murray wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Austin Weber, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. John Lupienski was another, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Holly Springs made easy work of Cary on Wednesday and carried off an 8-1 victory.
Caleb Renn tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.
At the plate, Tyler Dowler was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Noah Rhoades, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Holly Springs hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cary struck out eight times.
Holly Springs has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.2 runs over those games. Middle Creek's loss dropped their record down to 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Middle Creek has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Holly Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Middle Creek couldn't quite get it done against Holly Springs in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 as they fell 11-6. Will Middle Creek have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
