The West Rowan Falcons will venture away from home to take on the East Rowan Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
West Rowan was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Central Cabarrus on Tuesday. West Rowan was the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Central Cabarrus. That 12 run margin sets a new team best for the Falcons this season.
Carter Durant
| 03/18/25 @ Central Cabarrus | 0 |
| 03/14/25 vs Northwest Cabarrus | 1 |
| 03/05/25 @ Mooresville | 1 |
Carter Durant was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Brody Pope was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted over his last 11 matchups. Eli Graham also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
West Rowan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central Cabarrus only posted an OBP of .276.
Meanwhile, East Rowan had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They walked away with a 10-5 victory over the Black Knights. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly five runs.
East Rowan also got a great performance from Tyler Hill as he tossed 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, Harrison Ailshie and Krys Hernandez did most of the damage at the plate: Ailshie scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Hernandez scored a run while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Mason Phelps, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
West Rowan's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for East Rowan, their record now sits at 9-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Rowan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like East Rowan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
West Rowan skirted past East Rowan 6-5 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Rowan since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
