The North Stokes Vikings will challenge the Union Academy Cardinals on Friday. North Stokes is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
North Stokes is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Murphy with a sharp 7-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won 13 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Elijah Whicker
| 05/06/25 vs Murphy | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs East Wilkes | 2 |
| 04/29/25 vs South Stokes | 2 |
| 04/24/25 @ Salem Baptist Christian | 1 |
| 04/21/25 @ North Surry | 1 |
| + 12 more games |
Elijah Whicker made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed seven innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. Whicker was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cash Dalton, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Jackson Lester was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Union Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They walked away with a 12-8 win over Mount Airy on Tuesday.
Brady Willis looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Ethan Rowe was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Union Academy's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-15 when he doesn't). Beckett Gurian also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Union Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
North Stokes' victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-7. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Union Academy, their record now sits at 10-15.
Everything went North Stokes' way against Union Academy when the teams last played back in May of 2017, as North Stokes made off with a 10-0 victory. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
