Apex is 2-8 against Middle Creek since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Cougars will host the Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Apex 3.7, Middle Creek 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Apex's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Northwood 11-0. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Cougars considering their two-run performance the contest before.
KYLE HULSE tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ
| 04/09/25 @ Northwood | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Millbrook | 3 |
| 03/04/25 @ Green Level | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Southern Lee | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Rolesville | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on ADRIAN GONZALEZ, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. He is becoming a predictor of Apex's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 7-1 (and 4-6 when he doesn't). CROSBY HOLMES was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Middle Creek, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They won by a run and slipped past Apex 3-2. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Mustangs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Gabe Murray made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Murray was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Middle Creek got a great performance from Ryan Morris as he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits.
Murray wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was John Lupienski, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Apex is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Middle Creek, their victory bumped their record up to 10-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Apex has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Middle Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
