vs
| 03/14/25 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 04/29/24 - Away | 1-12 L |
| 04/16/24 - Home | 6-11 L |
| 03/15/24 - Away | 10-12 L |
| 04/18/23 - Away | 1-4 L |
| + 5 more games |
Hoke County and Southern Lee are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2021, but likely not for long. The Bucks will venture away from home to challenge the Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hoke County has three straight victories, Southern Lee has eight straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Hoke County's win against Richmond wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Bucks sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 victory over the Raiders on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bucks have posted against the Raiders since March 15, 2022.
Niya Jones made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
In other batting news, McKenzie Freeman was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Willow Clark also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Southern Lee came up short against Pinecrest on Friday and fell 13-8.
Maggie Lucas made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Peyton Varner, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Hoke County's record now sits at 13-4. As for Southern Lee, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-12.
Southern Lee's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Hoke County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Southern Lee, though, as they've been averaging only 2.9 strikeouts. Will Hoke County keep running through batters, or will the Cavaliers buck the trend?
Hoke County took their victory against Southern Lee in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bucks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
