Central Cabarrus is 0-10 against West Rowan since April of 2017 but things could change on Thursday. The Vikings will venture away from home to square off against the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Central Cabarrus earned a 4-1 victory over Lake Norman Charter. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.
Keyen Elbe made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
James Cloutier III
| 04/09/25 @ Piedmont | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Northwest Cabarrus | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs West Rowan | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ South Rowan | 2 |
In other pitching news, James Cloutier III looked comfortable as he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Central Cabarrus is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-11 otherwise.
Elbe wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Paulie Coubal, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, West Rowan came tearing into Tuesday's match with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Trojans 21-2. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won nine games by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Central Cabarrus, West Rowan also got a great game from a two-way player: Maddox Moore. He struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Moore was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Brody Pope and Brice Knox did most of the damage at the plate: Pope went 4-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Knox went a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and two doubles. Pope also put up a triple, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Cole Blevins, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
West Rowan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .651. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
West Rowan's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Central Cabarrus, their record is now 6-12.
Central Cabarrus might still be hurting after the 14-2 loss they got from West Rowan when the teams last played back in March. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
