Durham Academy is 0-3 against Riverside-Durham since April of 2022 but things could change on Wednesday. The Cavaliers will host the Pirates at 5:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Durham Academy barely beat Ravenscroft the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cavaliers blew past the Ravens 13-7 on Tuesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Cavaliers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Emma Asnani was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Maya Patel, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Durham Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .643. They are 5-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Riverside-Durham waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Tigers a 14-0 shutout. Considering the Pirates have won six games by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Grace Arrington was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. Arrington was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Riverside-Durham got a massive performance out of Grayson Knotts, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. Knotts is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games she's played. Paisley Russell was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Durham Academy now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Riverside-Durham, their victory bumped their record up to 9-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Durham Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 11 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Riverside-Durham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Durham Academy might still be hurting after the 26-0 loss they got from Riverside-Durham in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Can the Cavaliers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
