Dixon is 2-8 against Croatan since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. Dixon will head out on the road to challenge Croatan at 6:45 p.m. Dixon will be strutting in after a win while Croatan will be coming in after a defeat.
Dixon took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Richlands a 5-0 shutout. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Chris Tesgle
Richlands' batters probably weren't too happy with Chris Tesgle, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 14 Ks (he gave up a single walk). Tesgle also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Dixon is 4-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 0-4 otherwise.
At the plate, Dixon got a big performance out of Nick Lacugna, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those doubles were Lacugna's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Chris Guslander, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Croatan entered their match against West Carteret on Tuesday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Croatan took a 10-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of West Carteret. Cougars fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Patriots since on Tuesday.
Clay Cameron was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Easton Taylor made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted two doubles, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Nathan Griffin was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Dixon's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Croatan, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-3.
Croatan's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Dixon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Croatan, though, as they've been averaging only 4.1 strikeouts. Will Dixon keep running through batters, or will Croatan buck the trend?
Dixon couldn't quite get it done against Croatan in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Can Dixon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
