East Duplin has won three straight games at home, while Rosewood has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Panthers will be taking part in a tournament against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. The last three games East Duplin has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
East Duplin saw some tournament action on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over Southern Wayne. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by just one run.
Jack Tuck was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Rosewood duked it out with North Lenoir on Saturday. The Eagles blew past the Hawks 11-2. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won eight matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Braxson Waters spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Zack Tadlock, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one run and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Adams, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Rosewood always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Rosewood is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 16 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.9 runs over those games. As for East Duplin, their victory bumped their record up to 11-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Duplin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rosewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went East Duplin's way against Rosewood in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as East Duplin made off with a 15-5 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
