Laney is 2-8 against Ashley since June of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Buccaneers will head out on the road to challenge the Screaming Eagle at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ashley will be up against a hot Laney team: the squad just extended their winning streak to seven. The Buccaneers never let South Brunswick get on the board and left with a 9-0 victory on Tuesday. The game was the first time the Buccaneers have beaten the Cougars on their field since May 21, 2021.
TJ Ziermann
| 04/08/25 @ South Brunswick | 12 |
| 04/01/25 vs Topsail | 9 |
| 03/25/25 @ New Hanover | 12 |
| 03/18/25 vs Ashley | 6 |
| 03/11/25 @ West Brunswick | 9 |
| 02/28/25 @ Swansboro | 11 |
TJ Ziermann was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
In other pitching news, Davis Croom looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Trent Fowler, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. JB Brooks was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Laney was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .318 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Ashley made easy work of West Brunswick on Tuesday and carried off a 10-2 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Screaming Eagle.
Drew Potter was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Tanner Berry, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Laney pushed their record up to 11-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for Ashley, their record now sits at 15-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Laney has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ashley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Laney couldn't quite finish off Ashley in their previous meeting back in March and fell 7-5. Can the Buccaneers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
