Softball Recap: North Buncombe Comes Up Short

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. The North Buncombe Black Hawks fell just short of the A.C. Reynolds Rockets by a score of 5-3. The Black Hawks were not able to make up for their defeat to the Rockets from their previous meeting back in May of 2024.

Sadie Jo Hunter

Batters Struck Out

02/27/25 @ Owen	11
03/07/25 vs R-S Central	14
03/03/25 @ Tuscola	20
03/11/25 vs A.C. Reynolds	24

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.

On the hitting side, 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.

Clark wasn't the only one working in the hit department: North Buncombe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

North Buncombe's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for A.C. Reynolds, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-3.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. North Buncombe will take on Madison at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Buncombe's pitching crew has only allowed two runs per game this season, so Madison's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for A.C. Reynolds, they will face off against Enka at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.