Lake Norman was the 13-9 winner over Cox Mill when they last played one another back in April of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Lake Norman Wildcats fell just short of the Cox Mill Chargers by a score of 3-2 on Monday. Lake Norman has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Riley Furrow was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits.
At the plate, Lake Norman saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carson Cherry, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Even though they lost, Lake Norman didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
On Cox Mill's side, Braylon Whitaker was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Whitaker was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other pitching news, John Ingle looked comfortable as he pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Cox Mill let Andrew Bonhag and Colin Pritt loose on the outfield. Bonhag went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run, while Pritt scored a run and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Pritt is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played. Gavin Barber was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
Lake Norman's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-6. As for Cox Mill, the victory (which was their ninth in a row) raised their record to 13-1.
Lake Norman will head out on the road to challenge West Rowan at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lake Norman is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road. As for Cox Mill, they will be playing at home against Lake Norman at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Cox Mill is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
