Baseball Game Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Charlotte Catholic Cougars

Independence is 0-6 against Charlotte Catholic since March of 2022 but things could change on Tuesday. The Independence Patriots will challenge the Charlotte Catholic Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Independence will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.

Independence had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Mallard Creek on Friday. Everything went Independence's way against Mallard Creek as Independence made off with a 12-2 victory. With that win, the Patriots brought their scoring average up to 7.5 runs per game.

Zachary Benton tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Don Thomas, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Chipper Hamrick, who scored two runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.

Independence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Charlotte Catholic, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They skirted past Providence 3-2.

Jon Fijalkowski was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Charlotte Catholic's record is now 3-1. As for Independence, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.

Independence might still be hurting after the 19-7 loss they got from Charlotte Catholic in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Independence avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.