Darlington and Marlboro County are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. The Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Darlington has three straight wins, Marlboro County has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Tuesday, Darlington got the win against Lakewood by a conclusive 11-1. Considering the Falcons have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Malaya Holt made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
Carly Gainey
| 04/01/25 @ Lakewood | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Wilson | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Crestwood | 1 |
| 03/08/25 vs Hartsville | 1 |
| 03/06/25 vs Hannah-Pamplico | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carly Gainey, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Jaylee Carter also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Darlington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .515 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Marlboro County fell victim to Aynor and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 15-0 to the Blue Jackets. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Bulldogs were not able to get on the board.
The victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 9-5. As for Marlboro County, their loss dropped their record down to 3-10.
Marlboro County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Darlington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. It's a different story for Marlboro County, though, as they've only averaged .343. Will they be able to contain Darlington's hitters?
Darlington came up short against Marlboro County in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 4-0. Can the Falcons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
