East Rowan is 9-1 against Carson since May of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Mustangs will challenge the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
East Rowan is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Salisbury an 18-0 shutout on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Ryan Friel
| 04/27/26 vs Salisbury | 3 |
| 04/24/26 @ Concord | 2 |
| 03/24/26 vs Salisbury | 6 |
Ryan Friel looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Harrison Ailshie was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Logan Bradley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
East Rowan kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Carson came into Monday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They blew past Northwest Cabarrus 12-2 on Monday. With that victory, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Kendal Sifford spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on three hits.
On the hitting side, Carson got a massive performance out of Carson Kirk, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Kirk has become a key player for the Cougars: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-13 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Landon Fleming, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
East Rowan's win bumped their record up to 21-4. As for Carson, their victory bumped their record up to 11-13.
Carson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: East Rowan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. It's a different story for Carson, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain East Rowan's hitters?
East Rowan beat Carson 5-1 in their previous matchup on April 10th. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
