Draughn has won three straight games at home, while Mitchell has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. Draughn will welcome Mitchell at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Draughn made easy work of Avery County and carried off a 13-3 win. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Griffin Stephens
| 03/21/25 vs Avery County | 13 |
| 03/19/24 vs Avery County | 12 |
| 02/26/25 vs East Burke | 11 |
| 03/14/25 @ Rosman | 9 |
| 03/05/25 vs Ashe County | 8 |
Griffin Stephens was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out 13 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Mull, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Draughn: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Tyler Lange, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Draughn always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Mitchell never let their opponents score on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Rosman.
Like Draughn, Mitchell also got a great game from a two-way player: Riley Silver. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over six innings pitched. That's the fewest hits Silver has allowed since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, AJ Mackey was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. Jacoby Dale was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Mitchell has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 10.67 hits in those games compared to only 3.67 in the others. The win got Draughn back to even at 5-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Draughn has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Mitchell struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Draughn's way against Mitchell in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Draughn made off with a 10-0 victory. Does Draughn have another victory up their sleeve, or will Mitchell turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
