The Carolina Day Wildcats will head out on the road to take on the Hickory Christian Academy Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Carolina Day came into Monday's game having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 7-2 win over Asheville T on Monday. The victory was just what Carolina Day needed coming off of an 11-0 defeat in their prior matchup.
Manning Stewart and Devrey Hernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Stewart struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Hernandez struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Stewart has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Stewart scored a run while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances, while Hernandez scored a run while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Martiste Mills, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-6. Another player making a difference was Sterling Haynes, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Hickory Christian Academy put another one in the bag on Monday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on Pinnacle Classical Academy with a sharp 9-2 win. The result was nothing new for Hickory Christian Academy, who have now won three contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Carolina Day, Hickory Christian Academy also got a great game from a pair of two-way players: Caleb Friar. On the mound, Friar pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Jude Carter tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). At the plate, Friar scored a run while going 1-for-4, while Carter scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jared Zientek, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a stolen base.
Carolina Day's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-6. As for Hickory Christian Academy, their record is now 5-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Carolina Day has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hickory Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Carolina Day couldn't quite finish off Hickory Christian Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2023 and fell 2-0. Thankfully for Carolina Day, Jacob Charlton (who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
