The Mize Bulldogs will challenge the Raleigh Lions at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Raleigh will be up against a hot Mize squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Mize never let Scott Central get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Tuesday. That looming 12-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bulldogs yet this season.
Graham Davis made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Davis was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Walker Sullivan, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Garrison Carrell, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Mize always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Scott Central only posted an OBP of .353.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Raleigh ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They came out on top against Forest by a score of 19-15.
Like Mize, Raleigh also got a great game from a two-way player: Deuce Carter. Throwing, Carter tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Brendan Harper pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave Carter a new career-low in walks (one). At the plate, Carter went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Harper scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Zack Harris was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
Mize's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 runs over those games. As for Raleigh, their victory ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mize has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Raleigh struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mize beat Raleigh 5-1 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Does Mize have another victory up their sleeve, or will Raleigh turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
