Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Harnett Central). They put the hurt on the E.E. Smith Golden Bulls with a sharp 21-1 victory on Thursday. The Trojans haven't had any issues with the Golden Bulls recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Zak Kerns looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single hit in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brantley Champion and Brayden Sears did most of the damage at the plate: Champion scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances, while Sears scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Champion continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Rylan Wester was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-1.
Trojans
| 04/03/25 vs E.E. Smith | 69% |
| 04/02/25 vs Cape Fear | 43.3% |
| 04/01/25 vs E.E. Smith | 64.9% |
| 03/28/25 @ Terry Sanford | 44.1% |
| 03/26/25 @ North Johnston | 36.4% |
| + 21 more games |
Harnett Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .690. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Harnett Central pushed their record up to 9-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for E.E. Smith, they are on a 17-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-11.
Looking ahead, Harnett Central will be playing at home against Enloe at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The Trojans are facing the Eagles at the right time seeing as the Eagles are stuck on a six-game losing streak. As for E.E. Smith, they will venture away from home to face off against Western Harnett at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
