The Gray Stone Day Knights will head out on the road to challenge the North Stanly Comets at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Gray Stone Day has given up an average of 11 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Gray Stone Day and Mount Pleasant had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Knights might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 15-0 to the Tigers, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Knights haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Gray Stone Day saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cheyenne Efird, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one double.
Meanwhile, North Stanly made easy work of South Stanly on Friday and carried off a 9-2 win. Considering the Comets have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Sophia Crist spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Breauna Speight was a standout: she scored three runs while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Sammie Lowder was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
North Stanly is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Gray Stone Day, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Gray Stone Day hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like North Stanly struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gray Stone Day came up short against North Stanly when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 3-0. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.