Triton and Lee County are an even 4-4 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Triton Hawks will head out to square off against the Lee County Yellow Jackets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Triton proved they can win big on Monday (they won by six) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over Cape Fear. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hawks have posted since April 16, 2024.
Brayden Bates
| 02/26/25 vs Cape Fear | 2 |
| 02/24/25 @ Gray's Creek | 0 |
| 03/21/24 @ Terry Sanford | 1 |
| 03/19/24 vs Terry Sanford | 2 |
Brayden Bates was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Bates was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.
In other pitching news, Tyler Blankenbecler tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Alan Hinson, who scored a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Lee County had to kick off their season on the road on Wednesday, but they showed no ill effects. They won by a run and slipped past Apex 4-3.
Like Triton, Lee County also got a great game from a two-way player: Drew Stanfield. He tossed three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. Stanfield was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Josh Hall was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Landon Miles, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Lee County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Apex only managed four hits.
Triton came out on top in a nail-biter against Lee County when the teams last played back in May of 2021, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Triton since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
