The Gray's Creek Bears will take on the Pinecrest Patriots on Friday. Gray's Creek is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
Gray's Creek is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Fuquay - Varina 4-3.
Gray's Creek's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Gunner Sterling, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, while Pinecrest put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Athens Drive. The Patriots walked away with a 4-0 victory over the Jaguars.
The result came thanks to Bohdi Robertson's shutout, as he gave up just four hits and racked up 12 Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Mitch Baek, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run. Another player making a difference was Eythan Reynolds, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Gray's Creek pushed their record up to 18-8 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Pinecrest, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gray's Creek has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pinecrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Gray's Creek skirted past Pinecrest 3-1 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
