CHOCOWINITY — It’s been almost two months since Northside and Southside met in Pinetown for Northside’s senior night. The Panthers and Seahawks will revisit their rivalry tonight.

This time it will be on the diamond. The Lady Seahawks suffered just their first loss in 1-A Coastal Plains Conference play when a top-tier East Carteret club breezed right past them last week. The Lady Panthers, too, only have one loss in the league thus far.

This matchup marks an early turning point for each team. While undefeated East Carteret sits atop the standings, Northside and Southside will joust for that second-place spot.

Power could make all the difference in this game. Senior Northside pitcher Rachel Lang will likely be the one to duel Southside sophomore Alyssa McLawhorn. While both are talented in tossing the ball, both will square off against strong bats. Each team has four players that have hit home runs this season.

Power isn’t Northside’s go-to strategy, though. The Lady Panthers like to get on base and use their speed to come around the bases. They quickly move into scoring position so as to capitalize on a hit or a defensive blunder.

Southside’s advantage may be its patience. It has drawn 27 walks to 27 strikeouts through eight games. Northside, meanwhile, has struck out 44 times while drawing 10 fewer walks.

These two appear even in batting and pitching, so this clash could very well come down to whichever team plays the cleanest defense.

The baseball matchup is a bit different. Whereas the softball squads are neck and neck, there’s some separation between the Panthers and the Seahawks in the baseball standings. Northside is sitting in third behind undefeated Pamlico County and Bear Grass teams.

Southside only has one league win so far. The Seahawks lost a pair of extra-inning marathons and fell short of a comeback against the first-place Hurricanes. The Seahawks are getting to where they’re desperate for a win. They have the talent, but the breaks simply haven’t gone their way.

Both Northside and Southside boast impressive pitching depth. No matter whom each side sends out to the mound, the other team is going to have to scratch and claw for offensive opportunities. While both have shown they can put the bat on the ball, the Panthers have capitalized on scoring opportunities on a much more consistent basis. They’ve stranded 71 fewer runners than the Seahawks.

That said, it’s about that time when Southside should be getting some breaks. Those timely hits may start falling in gaps instead of flying right into a glove. That’s what will need to happen for the Seahawks to get back on track.

No matter which way these games unfold, Southside vs. Northside always delivers.