The Hough Huskies will head out on the road to challenge the South Mecklenburg Sabres at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Hough's pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so South Mecklenburg's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Tuesday, Hough made easy work of Mallard Creek and carried off a 14-1 victory. Considering the Huskies have won six contests by more than ten runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Payton Elwell
| 03/25/25 vs Mallard Creek | 11 |
| 03/20/25 @ West Charlotte | 7 |
| 03/19/25 vs West Forsyth | 6 |
| 03/13/25 @ Chambers | 8 |
| 03/12/25 vs Weddington | 5 |
| + 3 more games |
Payton Elwell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.4 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other pitching news, Aubrey Martin looked comfortable as she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Maylee Stroupe was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, five RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Reese Lavey, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Hough always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .657. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mallard Creek only posted an OBP of .059.
Meanwhile, South Mecklenburg lost 10-4 to Myers Park on Tuesday.
South Mecklenburg saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ashlynn Hall, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Hough and bumps their season record up to 8-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 10.5 hits in those games compared to only 5.25 in the others. As for South Mecklenburg, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hough has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .546. However, it's not like South Mecklenburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .467. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hough beat South Mecklenburg 9-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hough since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
