The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars will venture away from home to take on the Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with SouthWest Edgecombe sitting on five straight victories and Cardinal Gibbons on six.
It was a proper cat-fight when SouthWest Edgecombe took on North Pitt on Friday. The Cougars put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 7-1 win. Considering the Cougars have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Chase Taylor
| 03/28/25 @ North Pitt | 4 |
| 03/25/25 vs North Pitt | 2 |
| 02/28/24 @ Rocky Mount | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Greene Central | 1 |
| 03/18/25 @ Greene Central | 1 |
Chase Taylor made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, one triple, and one double. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Turner Cooke was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-5. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Logan Webb, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-5.
SouthWest Edgecombe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Pitt only posted an OBP of .276.
Meanwhile, while Cardinal Gibbons put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Cary. The Crusaders were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Imps. The result was nothing new for the Crusaders, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Damon Phillips, who scored two runs while going 4-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew VanTassel, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
SouthWest Edgecombe pushed their record up to 10-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Cardinal Gibbons, their record now sits at 12-5.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. SouthWest Edgecombe has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .494. However, it's not like Cardinal Gibbons struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
