The Hoggard Vikings will head out to square off against the Laney Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hoggard is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Hoggard will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Topsail on Tuesday. The Vikings walked away with an 11-6 win over the Pirates. The game was the first time the Vikings have beaten the Pirates on their field since March 18, 2022.
Aiden Weninger looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
Taylor Stewart
| 04/21/26 @ Topsail | 3 |
| 04/14/26 @ West Brunswick | 1 |
| 04/08/26 vs Southern Alamance | 1 |
| 04/07/26 vs Salem | 1 |
| 03/31/26 vs Ashley | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Taylor Stewart, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Christian Atkinson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Laney faced Topsail in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Buccaneers took a 13-10 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pirates. The Buccaneers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
JB Brooks led a balanced group of hitters, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Ty Duleba, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI.
Hoggard has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Laney, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-5.
Hoggard suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Laney in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
