Hoke County hasn't had much luck against Purnell Swett recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Bucks will be playing at home against the Rams at 7:00 p.m. Hoke County is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
Hoke County's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Pinecrest as they made off with an 18-0 victory. The Bucks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Niya Jones was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 18 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on McKenzie Freeman, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Alyssa Cascavilla, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4.
Meanwhile, Purnell Swett sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Lumberton on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.
Purnell Swett also got a great performance from Braci Woods as she pitched six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Chloe Chavis was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
Purnell Swett hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lumberton struck out seven times.
Hoke County's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-4. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Purnell Swett, their victory bumped their record up to 8-9.
Hoke County might still be hurting after the 12-4 defeat they got from Purnell Swett when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will the Bucks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
