Hickory Ridge is 9-0 against Lake Norman since May of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls will look to defend their home field against the Lake Norman Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Wednesday.
Lake Norman is hoping to do on Wednesday what West Cabarrus couldn't on Friday: put an end to Hickory Ridge's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Hickory Ridge was the clear victor by a 15-3 margin over West Cabarrus.
Cayleb Hurley was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. Hurley was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Laura Herzig was a standout: she scored three runs and stole four bases while going 4-for-4. Tori Kirkpatrick was another key contributor, going 3-for-5 with five RBI, a run, and a double.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Lake Norman gave their fans yet another huge win on Monday. Everything went their way against A.L. Brown as Lake Norman made off with a 14-5 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for Lake Norman.
Like Hickory Ridge, Lake Norman also got a great game from a two-way player: Olivia Wolf. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit over 4.1 innings pitched. Wolf has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Wolf was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple.
In other batting news, Lake Norman got a massive performance out of Avery Evans, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Sophia Barone, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
Hickory Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 17-5 record this season. As for Lake Norman, their win bumped their record up to 15-8.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Hickory Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Lake Norman struggles in that department as they've averaged .332. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hickory Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Lake Norman in their previous matchup on Tuesday, winning 8-3. Will Hickory Ridge repeat their success, or does Lake Norman have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
