West Rowan is a perfect 3-0 against Lake Norman since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Falcons will head out on the road to square off against the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with West Rowan sitting on seven straight victories and Lake Norman on four.
West Rowan is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Concord on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Brant Graham looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Brody Pope
| 04/11/25 @ Concord | 4 |
| 03/14/25 vs Northwest Cabarrus | 3 |
| 02/25/25 @ South Rowan | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Carson | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Central Cabarrus | 2 |
On the hitting side, West Rowan let Ben Koontz and Brody Pope run wild. Koontz fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4, while Pope went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Those four hits gave Pope a new career-high. Cole Ludwick also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
West Rowan lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Lake Norman ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They won by a run and slipped past Cox Mill 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted against the Chargers since May 5, 2022.
Caden Beaver looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Lake Norman's victory was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Carson Beaver, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Lake Norman pushed their record up to 14-5 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for West Rowan, their record is now 16-3.
Lake Norman's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: West Rowan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. It's a different story for Lake Norman, though, as they've only averaged .251. Will they be able to contain West Rowan's hitters?
West Rowan came out on top in a nail-biter against Lake Norman when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
