Spring Creek is 0-7 against North Johnston since March of 2016 but things could change on Tuesday. The Spring Creek Gators will square off against the North Johnston Panthers at 6:30 p.m. The matchup will give Spring Creek their first taste of in-conferenceaction this season.
Spring Creek fell victim to Hobbton and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 12-0 to the Wildcats. The loss was the Gators' first of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Johnston). They were the clear victor by a 14-1 margin over Neuse Charter on Friday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Panthers needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Reid Willoughby made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because North Johnston is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-2 otherwise. Willoughby was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Daniel Turner, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Luke Lomonaco, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
North Johnston always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The victory got North Johnston back to even at 3-3. As for Spring Creek, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
Spring Creek's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. Spring Creek has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Johnston, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Spring Creek continue to outrun the ball?
Spring Creek might still be hurting after the 20-0 loss they got from North Johnston in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Spring Creek avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
