After both having extra time off, the Middle Creek Mustangs and the Panther Creek Catamounts will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Middle Creek has three straight wins, Panther Creek has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Wednesday, Middle Creek got the win against Green Level by a conclusive 9-2. With that victory, the Mustangs brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Hailey Hoeft
| 03/04/25 @ Willow Spring | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Fuquay - Varina | 3 |
| 03/18/25 @ Holly Springs | 3 |
| 02/25/25 @ Garner | 4 |
| 03/13/25 vs Apex Friendship | 4 |
Hailey Hoeft spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up 17 Ks. Those 17 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Tori Gore was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Madelyn Herndon was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Middle Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .447. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Panther Creek might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 8-4 to Green Hope, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Hannah Welborn made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Cassidy Robinson, who went 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Middle Creek's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Panther Creek, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 4-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Middle Creek has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Panther Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Middle Creek came up short against Panther Creek when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 7-4. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
