East Mecklenburg is 0-7 against Charlotte Catholic since April of 2016 but things could change on Tuesday. The Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
East Mecklenburg fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Independence on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 15-14. The Eagles' loss continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.
Gabriel Johnson
| 04/04/25 @ Independence | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs Independence | 3 |
| 04/02/25 vs Hurricane | 1 |
Gabriel Johnson was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 4.1 innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. Johnson was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Johnson wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Samuel Thompson, who got on base in four of his six plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That home run was Thompson's first of the season. Another was Malachi McCord, who scored two runs and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Catholic had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Friday. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 12-0 win. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 matches by six runs or more this season.
Like East Mecklenburg, Charlotte Catholic also got a great game from a two-way player: Alex Hoffman. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Hoffman was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three runs.
In other batting news, Matt McKnight and Cooper Gornet did most of the damage at the plate: McKnight went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double, while Gornet scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave Gornet a new career-high. Caden O'Neill was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Charlotte Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Butler only posted a batting average of .062.
Charlotte Catholic's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for East Mecklenburg, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Mecklenburg has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. However, it's not like Charlotte Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .492. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Mecklenburg couldn't quite finish off Charlotte Catholic in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
