Hickory is 2-8 against Great Bridge since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Hawks will host the Wildcats at 5:45 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Hickory sitting on four straight victories and Great Bridge on five.
Hickory is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest win since April 4th on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Grassfield, sneaking past 5-3.
Jaden Maderia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Dom Longo
| 05/08/26 @ Grassfield | 2 |
| 04/28/26 vs Deep Creek | 1 |
| 04/23/26 vs Nansemond River | 1 |
| 04/14/26 vs Oscar Smith | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Dom Longo, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Matthew Kemick, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Hickory hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive games.
Great Bridge came out on top against Cox on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fifth inning. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 12-2 victory. Considering the Wildcats have won nine contests by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Caden Cinnamond looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Logan Gillespie was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathan Matheny, who got on base in both of his plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Great Bridge's win bumped their record up to 13-4. As for Hickory, their victory bumped their record up to 13-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hickory has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Great Bridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hickory suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Great Bridge when the teams last played back in April. Will the Hawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
