The Lee County Yellow Jackets will challenge the Cape Fear Colts at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lee County has given up an average of 9.8 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Lee County managed to slip by Pinecrest the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Yellow Jackets came up short against the Patriots on Tuesday, falling 19-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Yellow Jackets have suffered against the Patriots since April 21, 2022.
Cherish Smith stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Kasie Roberts was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cape Fear). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Douglas Byrd a 26-0 shutout on Tuesday. The win was nothing new for the Colts as they're now sitting on six straight.
Allie Dawson and McKinley Kolasa were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Dawson pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Kolasa pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave Dawson a new career-high in strikeouts (three). At the plate, Dawson fired off two home runs, six RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-4, while Kolasa went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Dawson is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, Cape Fear got a massive performance out of Addie Davis, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Davis has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kloe Watts, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Cape Fear kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 32 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in seven consecutive matchups.
Cape Fear pushed their record up to 14-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 19.8 runs over those games. As for Lee County, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season.
Lee County couldn't quite get it done against Cape Fear when the teams last played back in March of 2024 as they fell 4-0. Will the Yellow Jackets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
