Hopewell hasn't had much luck against Mallard Creek recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Hopewell Titans will head out on the road to challenge the Mallard Creek Mavericks at 5:30 p.m. Hopewell is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
Hopewell will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Harding University on Tuesday. Hopewell never let Harding University get on the board and left with a 17-0 victory. The Titans haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Emma Hubert was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in March of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season.
Addison Pless
| 03/11/25 vs Harding University | 3 |
| 04/30/24 @ Mallard Creek | 2 |
| 03/14/24 @ Chambers | 2 |
| 03/06/25 vs Lake Norman Charter | 1 |
| 02/27/25 @ Berry | 1 |
In other batting news, Ellie Wicks and Addison Pless did most of the damage at the plate: Wicks scored two runs while going 2-for-2, while Pless went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. The dominant performance gave Pless a new career-high in RBI. Alexis McLaughlin was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-2.
Hopewell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .708. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 20 runs the game before, Mallard Creek was a bit more limited in their matchup on Wednesday. They lost 16-1 to Porter Ridge.
Mallard Creek saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Morgan Lampkin, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Mallard Creek's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Hopewell, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Everything went Hopewell's way against Mallard Creek in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Hopewell made off with an 11-5 win. Does Hopewell have another victory up their sleeve, or will Mallard Creek turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
