East Mecklenburg is 0-9 against Charlotte Catholic since March of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The East Mecklenburg Eagles will face off against the Charlotte Catholic Cougars at 5:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Wednesday, everything went East Mecklenburg's way against Berry as East Mecklenburg made off with a 23-8 victory. The Eagles have beaten the Cardinals the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Cardinals has come to flipping the script.
Frida Arroyo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Arroyo was even better at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Zya Dunlap
| 03/19/25 @ Berry | 5 |
| 03/20/24 vs Olympic | 4 |
| 03/14/25 vs North Mecklenburg | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Garinger | 3 |
| 03/13/25 vs Richmond | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zya Dunlap, who scored five runs and stole Two bases. while going 5-for-5. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in runs. Oyuky Alanis Lozada also deserves some recognition as she hit her first doubles of the season.
East Mecklenburg kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 23 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Catholic hadn't done well against Butler recently (they were 1-7 in their previous eight matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Charlotte Catholic came out on top against Butler by a score of 12-7. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Rachel Wildman made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and one triple.
In other batting news, Evi Hoefling was incredible, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Reagan Ryan was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The victory got East Mecklenburg back to even at 5-5. As for Charlotte Catholic, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East Mecklenburg hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .546. However, it's not like Charlotte Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Mecklenburg might still be hurting after the 12-0 defeat they got from Charlotte Catholic in their previous meeting on March 3rd. Can East Mecklenburg avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
