Neuse Charter is 1-9 against Lakewood since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Cougars will head out to challenge the Leopards at 6:00 p.m. Lakewood took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Neuse Charter, who comes in off a win.
Neuse Charter made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Eastern Wayne, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 30-1 margin over the Warriors last Friday. The Cougars' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Connor Phillips
| 04/04/25 vs Eastern Wayne | 4 |
| 04/09/24 vs Union | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Union | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Lakewood | 2 |
| 03/10/25 @ American Leadership Academy-Johnston | 2 |
Connor Phillips and Alex Candes were a major factor while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Phillips tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Candes tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Phillips has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Phillips scored four runs while going 4-for-6, while Candes scored three runs while going 3-for-5. Those four runs gave Phillips a new career-high.
In other batting news, Hayden Jones was a standout: he scored five runs and stole a base while going 5-for-5. Those five runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Knox Gipe, who scored four runs while going 5-for-5.
Neuse Charter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 28 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 3.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 10.
Meanwhile, Lakewood lost 14-4 to Hobbton on Thursday. The Leopards have struggled against the Wildcats recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.
Lakewood saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Caleb Neal, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Cooper Ivey also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Lakewood's loss dropped their record down to 7-9. As for Neuse Charter, their win ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-10.
Lakewood's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Neuse Charter has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. It's a different story for Lakewood, though, as they've only averaged .352. Will they be able to contain Neuse Charter's hitters?
Neuse Charter might still be hurting after the 17-6 defeat they got from Lakewood in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
