The Northwest Cabarrus Trojans will venture away from home to take on the South Rowan Raiders at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Northwest Cabarrus hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.
Northwest Cabarrus is headed into the contest having just suffered their biggest loss since February 28th on Tuesday. They lost 16-1 to East Rowan.
Northwest Cabarrus saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Haylee Ellis, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, South Rowan got themselves on the board against Concord on Friday, but Concord never followed suit. They blew past the Spiders 10-0. Considering the Raiders have won six matchups by more than eight runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Remi Hagerty's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kynlee Dextraze and Leisha Carter did most of the damage at the plate: Dextraze scored a run while going 3-for-4, while Carter scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Dextraze a new career-high in doubles (two). Lexie Ritchie was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
South Rowan hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive games.
South Rowan is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.9 runs on average over those games. As for Northwest Cabarrus, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northwest Cabarrus hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. However, it's not like South Rowan struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northwest Cabarrus came out on top in a nail-biter against South Rowan when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
