The Nash Central Bulldogs will head out on the road to square off against the Roanoke Rapids Yellowjackets at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Nash Central took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over Rocky Mount. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Gryphons recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Caleb Cox looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
Jackson Lynch
| 04/28/25 vs Rocky Mount | 4 |
| 03/27/25 @ Southern Nash | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Northwest Halifax | 2 |
| 04/23/25 vs West Craven | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Bunn | 1 |
On the hitting side, Jackson Lynch was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Avery Flowers, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Nash Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .656. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Roanoke Rapids not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 25th (when they won 13-2). They were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over Franklinton. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Yellowjackets as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ayden Brantley made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Roanoke Rapids is 4-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 5-8 otherwise. Brantley was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Collin Elias, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Roanoke Rapids' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 3-8 when he doesn't). Landen Briggs was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Roanoke Rapids' victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-9. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Nash Central, their record now sits at 14-9.
Nash Central came up short against Roanoke Rapids in their previous matchup two weeks ago, falling 9-5. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
