Independence is a perfect 10-0 against Garinger since March of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Patriots will host the Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. Independence is coming into the contest hot, having won their last eight games.
Independence lost a heartbreaker the last time they played West Cabarrus, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's game. The Patriots blew past the Wolverines 15-1 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won nine matches by ten runs or more so far this season.
Maliyah Alexander
| 04/03/25 vs West Cabarrus | 9 |
| 04/01/25 vs Charlotte Catholic | 10 |
| 03/27/25 @ Ardrey Kell | 5 |
| 03/25/25 @ Butler | 7 |
Maliyah Alexander was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Gianna McCloud was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Natalie Johnson was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Independence was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .538. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Garinger came up short against East Mecklenburg on Tuesday, falling 18-3. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Independence's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Garinger, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
Independence took their victory against Garinger when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
