The Lawrence Academy Warriors will take on the Northside - Pinetown Panthers at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northside - Pinetown will be up against a hot Lawrence Academy squad: the team just extended their winning streak to six. The Warriors' pitcher stepped up to hand Ridgecroft a 15-0 shutout on Wednesday.
Claire Smith
| 04/16/25 vs Ridgecroft | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Grace Christian | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs Camden County | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Perquimans | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Northeast Academy | 0 |
Claire Smith made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, Jaslene Ethridge was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Camy Pippins was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
Lawrence Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .654. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgecroft only posted an OBP of .154.
Meanwhile, Northside - Pinetown got the win against Jones last Thursday by a conclusive 17-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Allie Davis looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit.
At the plate, Northside - Pinetown got a massive performance out of Riley Hudson, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophia Berry, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Lawrence Academy's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northside - Pinetown, their record is now 9-7.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lawrence Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .413. However, it's not like Northside - Pinetown struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lawrence Academy suffered a grim 17-4 defeat to Northside - Pinetown when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
