Madison and Draughn are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2022, but likely not for long. The Patriots will head out to take on the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Madison is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Madison took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against North Henderson, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Patriots had just enough and edged out the Knights 8-7.
Max Shelton
| 04/03/25 vs North Henderson | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs North Buncombe | 3 |
| 03/25/25 vs Rosman | 3 |
| 03/18/25 vs Mountain Heritage | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Avery County | 3 |
| + 4 more games |
Madison's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Max Shelton, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. The Patriots are 5-1 when Shelton posts two or more runs, but 2-5 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Draughn waltzed into their contest on Friday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They were the clear victors by an 11-3 margin over the Warhorses. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by eight runs or more this season.
Griffin Stephens spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jacob Mull, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Tyler Lange also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Draughn kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Draughn pushed their record up to 9-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Madison, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Madison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Draughn struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Madison skirted past Draughn 5-4 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
