The Cox Mill Chargers will square off against the Independence Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Cox Mill has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Independence will arrive with 12 straight wins.
Cox Mill fell victim to Lake Norman and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Wildcats, falling 10-0.
Meanwhile, Independence got themselves on the board against East Mecklenburg last Thursday, but East Mecklenburg never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 15-0 victory. Considering the Patriots have won 12 contests by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Maliyah Alexander made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Emma Wrangham was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Natalie Johnson, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Independence 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 eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Independence pushed their record up to 17-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Cox Mill, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-16.
Cox Mill took their win against Independence in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 21-11 score. Will the Chargers repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
