The Chapel Hill Tigers will venture away from home to challenge the Northern Durham Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Last Saturday, Chapel Hill came up short against Riverside-Durham and fell 7-3.
Chapel Hill got a good showing from Asa Foster, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Foster gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March.
Meanwhile, Northern Durham got themselves on the board against Hillside on Thursday, but Hillside never followed suit. They blew past the Hornets 10-0. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won five matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Liam Hawkes made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Northern Durham is undefeated when he allows at most two walks, but 4-6 otherwise. Hawkes was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on J.P. Rodio, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. He is becoming a predictor of Northern Durham's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 4-6 when he doesn't). J.D. Williams was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
Northern Durham always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .643. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Northern Durham is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Chapel Hill, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Chapel Hill has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northern Durham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Chapel Hill came out on top in a nail-biter against Northern Durham in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
