North Lenoir is 6-1 against Southwest Onslow since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Hawks will head out to challenge the Stallions at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
North Lenoir barely beat James Kenan the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Hawks put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 14-4 victory on Tuesday. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Maddie Rouse
| 04/01/25 @ James Kenan | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ South Lenoir | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Wallace-Rose Hill | 1 |
| 03/14/25 vs Southwest Onslow | 0 |
Maddie Rouse made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits over 4.1 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Lakyn Whitley and Kailey Bridwell did most of the damage at the plate: Whitley went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI, while Bridwell scored two runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs Bridwell has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Haley Hemby, who scored two runs while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, while Southwest Onslow put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Kinston. The Stallions were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Vikings. That's two games straight that the Stallions have won by exactly 15 runs.
Like North Lenoir, Southwest Onslow also got a great game from a two-way player: Whitney Grissett. On the mound, Grissett tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Skylar Phillips pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At the plate, Grissett scored four runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4, while Phillips scored two runs and stole a base.
In other batting news, Grace Randolph was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. Haylie Anderson also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Southwest Onslow was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .520. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Southwest Onslow has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for North Lenoir, their record now sits at 8-2.
Southwest Onslow's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: North Lenoir hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. It's a different story for Southwest Onslow, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain North Lenoir's hitters?
Everything went North Lenoir's way against Southwest Onslow in their previous matchup back in March, as North Lenoir made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
