A feisty cat fight will be fought as Charlotte Catholic Cougars challenge Hickory Grove Christian Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Charlotte Catholic's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Hickory Grove Christian has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
Charlotte Catholic's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Richmond as Charlotte Catholic made off with a 14-0 victory. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Charlotte Catholic got a great performance from Quinn O'Rourke as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over six innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave O'Rourke a new career-low in walks (two).
Jon Fijalkowski
| 03/26/25 @ Richmond | 4 |
| 03/18/25 @ Rocky River | 3 |
| 03/12/25 vs Charlotte Christian | 3 |
| 04/01/24 vs Weddington | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Garinger | 2 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jon Fijalkowski, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Matt McKnight, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Charlotte Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Hickory Grove Christian can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Saegertown, sneaking past 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Lions have posted since May 13, 2024.
Ben Green was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Nathan Dowdy was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
The victory got Hickory Grove Christian back to even at 5-5. As for Charlotte Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 12-2.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Charlotte Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .495. However, it's not like Hickory Grove Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Charlotte Catholic took their victory against Hickory Grove Christian in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 9-0. Will Charlotte Catholic repeat their success, or does Hickory Grove Christian has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
