Baseball Game Preview: North Mecklenburg Vikings vs. Hough Huskies

Vikings

Runs

03/10/25 vs Queen's Grant	14
03/07/25 vs Central Academy	0
03/03/25 vs Ashbrook	9
02/28/25 vs Langtree Charter Academy	1
02/26/25 vs Huss	18

North Mecklenburg is 0-10 against Hough since March of 2020 but things could change on Tuesday. The North Mecklenburg Vikings are headed away from home for the first time to challenge the Hough Huskies at 6:00 p.m. North Mecklenburg is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.

North Mecklenburg will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Queen's Grant on Monday. Everything went North Mecklenburg's way against Queen's Grant as North Mecklenburg made off with a 14-4 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Vikings as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Alex Beall was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Clark, who scored two runs and stole Four bases. while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ran Diaz, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.

North Mecklenburg always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Queen's Grant only posted an OBP of .391.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hough, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over South Mecklenburg on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Huskies have posted since March 16, 2024.

North Mecklenburg's record is now 2-3. As for Hough, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

North Mecklenburg suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Hough when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can North Mecklenburg avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.