The Cuthbertson Cavaliers will challenge the Sun Valley Spartans at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Wednesday, Cuthbertson got the win against South Mecklenburg by a conclusive 17-7. The result was nothing new for the Cavaliers, who have now won eight games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Grace Murray
| 04/02/25 @ South Mecklenburg | 4 |
| 03/10/25 @ Hopewell | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Central Academy | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Myers Park | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Ardrey Kell | 2 |
Grace Murray made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Murray was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Gabby Martens and Kristine Dipiazza did most of the damage at the plate: Martens scored two runs while going 2-for-5, while Dipiazza went 2-for-5 with four RBI and one triple. That's the most hits Dipiazza has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Alexis Juhl, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Sun Valley). They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Central Academy on Wednesday. The Spartans not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since March 18, 2024.
Like Cuthbertson, Sun Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Kendall Smith (2026). She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Smith (2026) has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gretchen Daniel (2028), who scored four runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-3. She also put up two RBI, which were her first of the season. Caryna Noel (2025) was another key player, scoring two runs.
Sun Valley lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Cuthbertson pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Sun Valley, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-6.
Sun Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Cuthbertson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .399. It's a different story for Sun Valley, though, as they've only averaged .222. Will they be able to contain Cuthbertson's hitters?
Cuthbertson took their win against Sun Valley in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 8-0 score. Do the Cavaliers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
