The Central Cabarrus Vikings will square off against the Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Central Cabarrus is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Hickory Ridge is facing Central Cabarrus at the wrong time: Central Cabarrus suffered their first home loss of the season on Tuesday and they're likely out for redemption. They fell 5-1 to the Falcons. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Vikings couldn't push the score so high this time.
Taryn Jenkins
| 03/18/25 vs West Rowan | 13 |
| 03/14/25 @ Lake Norman Charter | 10 |
| 03/13/25 vs East Lincoln | 11 |
| 03/11/25 @ South Rowan | 5 |
| 03/07/25 vs Alexander Central | 5 |
| + 12 more games |
Taryn Jenkins spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 13 Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Central Cabarrus saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Haley Rezy, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Meanwhile, Hickory Ridge had already won three in a row and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over the Wonders. Seven seems to be a good number for the Ragin' Bulls as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Embler Kristyn was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run.
In other batting news, Hickory Ridge let Aubree Painter and Hailey Faulkenberry run wild. Painter scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Faulkenberry went 1-for-4 with one home run. That home run was Faulkenberry's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kennedy Morgan, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Hickory Ridge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Hickory Ridge's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Central Cabarrus, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Central Cabarrus hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hickory Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.8 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
