A feisty cat fight will be fought as Hickory Grove Christian Lions duke it out with Charlotte Catholic Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hickory Grove Christian took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They skirted past Saegertown 5-4. The victory was some much needed relief for the Lions as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
The team relied heavily on Ben Green, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Nathan Dowdy was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Catholic entered their tilt with Richmond on Wednesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They never let the Raiders get on the board and left with a 14-0 win. Considering the Cougars have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Charlotte Catholic also got a great performance from Quinn O'Rourke as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over six innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave O'Rourke a new career-low in walks (two).
At the plate, Jon Fijalkowski was incredible, scoring three 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 Matt McKnight, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Charlotte Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive games.
Charlotte Catholic pushed their record up to 12-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.6 runs over those games. As for Hickory Grove Christian, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hickory Grove Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Charlotte Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .495. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hickory Grove Christian suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Charlotte Catholic in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Hickory Grove Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
