Carson hasn't had much luck against East Rowan recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cougars will face off against the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Carson barely beat Northwest Cabarrus the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Trojans on Monday. The victory continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won five in a row.
Kendal Sifford spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on three hits.
Carson Kirk
| 04/27/26 vs Northwest Cabarrus | 3 |
| 03/06/26 vs Salisbury | 3 |
| 03/03/26 @ Salisbury | 3 |
| 04/17/26 @ Jay M. Robinson | 1 |
| 04/15/26 vs North Iredell | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
At the plate, Carson got a massive performance out of Carson Kirk, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Kirk is becoming a predictor of the Cougars' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 8-13 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Landon Fleming, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask East Rowan). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Salisbury an 18-0 shutout on Monday. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 games by six runs or more this season.
Ryan Friel looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, 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's the most hits they've posted since back in February of 2025.
Carson's record now sits at 11-13. As for East Rowan, their record is now 21-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Carson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like East Rowan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Carson came up short against East Rowan when the teams last played on April 10th, falling 5-1. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
