The Palisades Pumas will venture away from home to square off against the Lake Norman Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Palisades knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Lake Norman likes a good challenge.
Palisades gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over Ballantyne Ridge. The Pumas might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Israel Clase
| 04/01/25 vs Ballantyne Ridge | 3 |
| 03/25/25 vs Olympic | 3 |
| 03/27/25 vs Butler | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs South Mecklenburg | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Myers Park | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Israel Clase and Lincoln Wise did most of the damage at the plate: Clase scored three runs while going 3-for-4, while Wise scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. Clase has become a key player for Palisades: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Patrick Beam also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Palisades was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .464. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .370 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Lake Norman didn't have quite enough to beat South Iredell on Tuesday and fell 4-3.
Lake Norman also got a good showing from Eric Jacobsen, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Jacobsen has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Lake Norman saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carson Horsefall, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Palisades pushed their record up to 7-7 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Lake Norman, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-5 record this season.
Lake Norman's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Palisades hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. It's a different story for Lake Norman, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain Palisades' hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
