South Lenoir Blue Devils Defeat North Lenoir Hawks 2-0 in Riveting Rivalry Game
The South Lenoir Blue Devils hosted the North Lenoir Hawks on Friday night for a highly anticipated rivalry matchup south of the river. In an intense and well-played game, the Blue Devils came out on top with a 2-0 victory, thanks to a remarkable pitching performance from Jade Sasnett.
Sasnett, who dominated on the mound throughout the night, pitched a complete seven innings, allowing just one hit, one walk, and no runs. Her command and composure were the difference-makers, as she consistently kept the Hawks off balance, striking out 11 batters in the process.
The game began with a thrilling battle between Sasnett and the Hawks’ top hitter, Maddie Rouse. In the top of the first inning, Sasnett struck out the first two batters before facing Rouse in a 15-pitch at-bat. Rouse fouled off multiple pitches before ultimately drawing a walk. Hallie Fowler followed with the Hawks’ only hit of the game, a single to center field. Sasnett, however, settled down and struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Fowler started on the mound for North Lenoir and, despite some early struggles, pitched admirably. After a leadoff walk to Rylan Wade, Fowler allowed Wade to advance to second on a passed ball. Lily Cole then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Wade to third, and Callie Tyndall brought her home with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
South Lenoir wasn’t finished. Carley Boone followed with a double down the left-field line, and after a fielding error, she was able to score, putting the Blue Devils up 2-0.
From that point on, it was the Jade Sasnett show. She retired the next eighteen Hawks in order, recording six straight 1-2-3 innings. Despite a strong relief performance from Rouse — who replaced Fowler in the first inning and pitched 5.1 innings with one hit allowed and six strikeouts — the Blue Devils' defense and Sasnett’s dominance proved too much.
Both teams played strong defensively throughout the game. South Lenoir head coach Madison Harvey praised her team’s performance behind their ace.
“Defensively, I think they really stood behind Jade,” Harvey said. “They knew she was throwing a really good game, and they wanted to make sure they were behind her. They played the best I’ve seen them play.”
Sasnett echoed the sentiment. “My defense was behind me, and they did really good,” she said. “I’m really proud of them.”
North Lenoir head coach Colby Miller offered a more somber, but forward-looking perspective.
“In the history of softball, no game has ever been won with zero runs,” Miller said. “We’ve got to do a better job at the plate. Jade threw a great game, but we’ve got to make better adjustments. I told the girls, it’s not the loss — it’s how we bounce back next week.”
With the win, South Lenoir extended its dominance over North Lenoir, marking the program’s 24th consecutive victory in the rivalry. Last season, the Blue Devils edged the Hawks 2-1 and 10-8 in their two meetings.
Looking ahead, South Lenoir (6-3, 4-0 in conference play) will face Wallace-Rose Hill at home on Tuesday, while North Lenoir (7-2, 3-1) will host North Pitt on Monday.
The win not only solidified South Lenoir’s place atop the conference standings but also showcased the strength of their pitching and defense. With conference play heating up, both teams will look to improve as the season progresses.
This was the first of two meetings between the rivals — but if you're looking for the rematch, you’ll have to wait until May 1!
