South Davidson had lost three straight on the road, but on Wednesday they dropped down to 3-8 to make it four. They fell just short of the Albemarle Bulldogs by a score of 7-6. The Wildcats were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Bulldogs earlier this season, when they won 7-6.
Dallas Mantz put in work while hitting and pitching. He pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in February. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Dalin Johnson
| 03/19/26 vs Lexington Senior | 5 |
| 03/25/26 @ Albemarle | 3 |
| 03/03/26 vs Albemarle | 3 |
| 02/25/26 @ Salisbury | 2 |
| 03/17/26 @ South Stokes | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Dalin Johnson and Dylan Beane did some serious damage despite the final result: Johnson went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Beane went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Johnson has become a key player for South Davidson: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 0-7 otherwise. Mason Gordon also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
As for Albemarle, their win ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-3. With that victory, they brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
On Albemarle's side, the team relied heavily on Ben Smith, who went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three runs gave Smith a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kendon Phillips, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. South Davidson will take on Bishop McGuinness at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Albemarle, they will face off against North Stanly at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
