vs
| 04/18/24 - Home | 17-5 W |
| 05/05/23 - Home | 13-3 W |
| 04/21/22 - Away | 10-2 W |
| 05/11/21 - Home | 11-1 W |
| 04/23/19 - Away | 10-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Hickory is a perfect 10-0 against King's Fork since March of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Hawks will head out on the road to take on the Bulldogs at 5:45 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Hickory proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cape Henry Collegiate a 1-0 shutout. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hawks have posted since March 27th.
The result came thanks to Jake Cozart's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up 11 Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hickory's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Kennedy, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Hickory hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are 5-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask King's Fork). They walked away with a 14-10 victory over Deep Creek on Tuesday.
Josh Harris made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because King's Fork is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-4 otherwise. Harris was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with four runs, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Camden Hill, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Mekhi Mercer was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Hickory's win bumped their record up to 7-4. As for King's Fork, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hickory has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like King's Fork struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hickory took their win against King's Fork in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 17-5 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
