Baseball Recap: Tarboro Makes It Six in a Row at Home

Vikings

Margin (Wins)

03/24/25 vs Southeast Halifax	16
03/28/25 vs Gates County	10
03/21/25 @ Bertie	10
03/04/25 vs Rocky Mount	9
03/13/25 @ Louisburg	8

Tarboro hadn't done well against Gates County recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Tarboro blew past Gates County 13-3. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by seven runs or more this season.

Cole Craddock was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two).

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Stephen Ribustello, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Mason Satterfield was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.

Tarboro was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .412. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gates County only posted a batting average of .208.

Tarboro pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.2 runs over those games. As for Gates County, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Tarboro will challenge Perquimans at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Tarboro's pitchers better be ready for this one: Perquimans has averaged an impressive 11.8 runs per game this season. As for Gates County, they will take on North East Carolina Prep at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. North East Carolina Prep has struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 15.6 runs per game on average), something Gates County will no doubt try to take advantage of.