The Apex Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panther Creek Catamounts at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Apex can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent contest on Monday. They blew past Northern Durham 14-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Apex.
Alyssa Kaufman was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Kaufman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in six consecutive pitching appearances. Kaufman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Apex got a massive performance out of Hailey Spielman, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, two additional RBI, and an additional run. Another player making a difference was Maggie Austin, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Panther Creek had to endure a six-game losing streak dating back to last season, but that streak is no more. They never let Cary onto the board and left with a 15-0 win on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Panther Creek considering their two-run performance the match before.
Like Apex, Panther Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Andrea Care. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Care was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a run.
In other batting news, Layla Lamar and Brooklinn Thomas did most of the damage at the plate: Lamar got on base in all three of her plate appearances with a home run, an additional RBI, and an additional run, while Thomas scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Hannah Welborn was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Apex pushed their record up to 5-2 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs per game. As for Panther Creek, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Panther Creek's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Apex has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .489. It's a different story for Panther Creek, though, as they've only averaged .352. Will they be able to contain Apex's hitters?
Apex was able to grind out a solid victory over Panther Creek in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, winning 11-6. Does Apex have another victory up their sleeve, or will Panther Creek turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
