The North Moore Mustangs will square off against the Southeast Alamance Stallions at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
North Moore made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Chatham Charter, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Mustangs blew past the Knights 12-2 on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Sydney Russell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Carly Monroe and Ansley Preslar did most of the damage at the plate: Monroe scored two runs while going 2-for-2, while Preslar went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Adrianna Patterson was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
North Moore was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Southeast Alamance, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 17-2 margin over Bartlett Yancey on Wednesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Stallions considering their two-run performance the game before.
Like North Moore, Southeast Alamance also got a great game from a two-way player: Tatum Shelton. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Shelton was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Katie Lloyd was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Carlie Austin, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
North Moore's win bumped their record up to 10-4. As for Southeast Alamance, their victory bumped their record up to 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Moore has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Southeast Alamance struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went North Moore's way against Southeast Alamance in their previous meeting back in March, as North Moore made off with a 22-13 win. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Stallions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
