Baseball Game Preview: Sun Valley Spartans vs. Lake Norman Wildcats

The Sun Valley Spartans will challenge the Lake Norman Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Sun Valley has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Lake Norman will arrive with three straight wins.

Sun Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Carolina's top teams: Cuthbertson, who was ranked first at the time (Sun Valley was ranked 25th). Sun Valley took a 10-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of Cuthbertson on Friday.

Coen DeCarlo made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Brian Devereaux was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Lake Norman narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past A.L. Brown 2-1.

Morgan McGuire looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk).

At the plate, Andres Acurero was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.

Lake Norman pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Sun Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.