Independence has gone a perfect 10-0 against East Mecklenburg recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Patriots will challenge the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Independence is coming into the game hot, having won their last 11 games.
Independence took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Providence, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Patriots narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Panthers 7-6.
Maliyah Alexander spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
Morgan Clark
| 04/08/25 vs Providence | 5 |
| 03/27/25 @ Ardrey Kell | 2 |
| 04/24/24 @ Rocky River | 2 |
| 04/16/24 @ Providence | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Garinger | 1 |
On the hitting side, Morgan Clark was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one stolen base. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Gianna McCloud, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for East Mecklenburg, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They came out on top against Ballantyne Ridge on Wednesday by a score of 8-3 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Geneva Garvais made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Garvais was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run and one triple.
In other batting news, Jahslyn Pruitt was a standout: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Shamaya Mccord was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
East Mecklenburg was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .480. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ballantyne Ridge only posted a batting average of .120.
Independence pushed their record up to 16-2 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for East Mecklenburg, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Independence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like East Mecklenburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .392. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Independence was able to grind out a solid victory over East Mecklenburg in their previous meeting back in March, winning 4-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
