The Goldsboro Cougars will square off against the Princeton Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Princeton will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Goldsboro extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Cougars put the hurt on Beddingfield with a sharp 16-2 win.
Bladen Jones made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Avery Grant
| 04/03/25 @ Beddingfield | 5 |
| 04/01/25 @ Eastern Wayne | 4 |
| 03/02/24 @ Wayne Preparatory Academy | 4 |
| 03/13/25 vs Village Christian Academy | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Village Christian Academy | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Avery Grant, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Joseph Hayes, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Goldsboro was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .516. They are 4-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, while Princeton put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Eastern Wayne. The Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 27-0 margin over the Warriors. The victory continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Warriors: they've now won six in a row.
Like Goldsboro, Princeton also got a great game from a two-way player: Macon Boone. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Boone has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one hit in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other batting news, Princeton got a massive performance out of Cade Gurley, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Lucas Finch was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Goldsboro pushed their record up to 5-9 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Princeton, their win bumped their record up to 9-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Goldsboro has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Princeton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Goldsboro suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Princeton in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
