Spartanburg hasn't had much luck against Gaffney recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:30 p.m. Spartanburg is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Spartanburg turned things around against Eastside last Friday. They were the clear victors by a 26-8 margin over the Eagles. The Vikings not only won last Friday, but they posted their biggest win since March 11th.
Katelyn Payne made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Payne was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of her five plate appearances.
Olivia Lister
| 04/04/25 @ Eastside | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Riverside | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs James F. Byrnes | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs Boiling Springs | 1 |
| 04/24/24 vs High Point Academy | 1 |
In other batting news, Olivia Lister was a standout: she scored four runs and stole a base while going 5-for-6. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Chariya Moon, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI.
Spartanburg kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 21 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Gaffney ultimately got the result they hoped for last Wednesday. They skirted past Chapman 5-4. The win was familiar territory for the Indians, who have now won four games in a row.
Gaffney's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-6. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Spartanburg, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Spartanburg was able to grind out a solid win over Gaffney in their previous meeting back in March, winning 10-7. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
