The Pisgah Bears will square off against the Oak Grove Grizzlies on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Pisgah 3.4, Oak Grove 1.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Pisgah is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over Central Cabarrus. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Sadie Messer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
Alexis Markos
| 05/06/25 vs Central Cabarrus | 1 |
| 05/01/25 @ North Henderson | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Enka | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Alexis Markos, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and one stolen base. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Rylee Campbell was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Oak Grove, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They came out on top against Central Academy by a score of 5-2 on Tuesday.
Mary Peyton Hodge made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Hodge was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Hollis Fitzgerald was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Chloe Smith, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Oak Grove is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Pisgah, their win bumped their record up to 16-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pisgah has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Oak Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
