Baseball Game Preview: East Rowan Mustangs vs. Lake Norman Charter Knights

Mustangs

Runs

04/15/25 vs South Rowan	5
04/09/25 @ Hickory Ridge	5
04/08/25 vs Carson	1
04/04/25 @ Central Cabarrus	4
04/02/25 vs West Stanly	4
+ 16 more games

East Rowan is a perfect 9-0 against Lake Norman Charter since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Mustangs will be playing at home against the Knights at 7:00 p.m. East Rowan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.

If East Rowan beats Lake Norman Charter with five runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Mustangs came out on top in a nail-biter against South Rowan on Tuesday, sneaking past 5-3. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now won seven in a row.

Harrison Ailshie was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over 6.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 14 consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base.

Ailshie wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Mason Phelps, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 11 runs the game before, Lake Norman Charter was a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They fell 4-1 to Central Cabarrus. The game marked the Knights' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Lake Norman Charter's defeat dropped their record down to 10-6. As for East Rowan, their win bumped their record up to 17-4.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Rowan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lake Norman Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

East Rowan beat Lake Norman Charter 11-6 when the teams last played back in March. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.