The Hoke County Bucks will challenge the Richmond Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hoke County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Hoke County took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against Lumberton, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Bucks won by a run and slipped past the Pirates 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bucks have posted since February 26th.
Niya Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chica Amador, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. McKenzie Freeman was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Richmond scored first but ultimately less than Jack Britt in their match on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Buccaneers by a score of 8-7.
Richmond also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Madee Pearson gave up three earned (and five unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 13 Ks. Those hits marked the first that Pearson allowed this season.
At the plate, Trinity Lockhart and Mikayla English stepped up to the plate in a big way. Lockhart scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4, while English went 2-for-4 with one home run. That home run marked the first that English launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jakayla Steele, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
The win made it two in a row for Hoke County and bumps their season record up to 12-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Richmond, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.
Hoke County took their win against Richmond in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 10-2 score. Will the Bucks repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
