#4 Charlotte Catholic Secures 6-1 Victory Over Hickory Grove Christian

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 4 Charlotte Catholic wasted no time asserting control, scoring four runs in the first inning en route to a 6-1 victory over Hickory Grove Christian on Tuesday night.

John Hucko’s RBI double capped off a big opening frame, while Alex Hoffman dominated on the mound, tossing five shutout innings with nine strikeouts and only two hits allowed.

Hickory Grove Christian managed to scratch across a run in the sixth, but Catholic's early offensive surge and strong pitching proved too much to overcome.

Key Performers

Hickory Grove Christian:

• Ben Green: 2-for-3, 1R
• Jack Dwyer: 1-for-3
• Zach White (L): 1 IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 1K
• Gavin Pelow: 2 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K
• Nathan Dowdy: 1 IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 0K

#4 Charlotte Catholic:

• Luke Danser: 1-for-3, 2R
• Alex Hoffman: 1-for-1, 2B, 2R
• Cooper Gornet: 2-for-4, 1R, 1RBI
• Matt McKnight: 1-for-2, 1R, 2RBI
• John Hucko: 1-for-2, 2B, 2RBI
• Alex Hoffman (W): 5 IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 9K
• Will O'Rourke: 1 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 2K
• Dylan Kelleher: 1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K

SCOUT BLOG

Alex Hoffman, RHP, Charlotte Catholic, 2026
Virginia Tech commit. Physical presence. Thick, muscular lower half. Listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. Solid mover. 3B side. Lift to the low chest. Slightly closed through balance. Average stride, landing on-line, working level. Square foot-strike. Medium arm action works through a high-3/4 slot. Quick arm with arm strength. Fastball created swing and miss, playing above the radar reading. Sat 91-93 early, settling at 89-93 as he worked the 4th and 5th innnings. Spin ranged 2450-2650 on the fastball. Solid ride. Slider has hard, late action with late depth at 78-84. Higher velocity slider missed bats with length and depth. High level out pitch. Good control. Around the zone with the occasional sprayed fastball or slider. Lacked advanced feel of any one spot. Right hander will draw a lot of interest in the next year. Big arm with the ability to miss bats presently.

Cooper Gornet, SS, Charlotte Catholic, 2026
UNC Wilmington commit. Average build. 6-foot-2, 170 pounds. Average mover. Solid rhythm between the hands and feet. Has confidence in his hands. Centers balls with the catch occasionally drifting to the inside right hip. Athletic exchange. Medium arm swing to a high-3/4 slot. Average to above carry. Arm has a chance to continue to develop, sticking on the left side as he continues to develop. Right handed hitter. Balanced with the feet under the shoulders. Slightly open in his setup. Hands above his shoulder, off his back ear. Flat bat head. Sinks into his base with a small hand movement for his load. Early stride, reaching with an average stride length. Average to above bat speed. Solid feel for the barrel. Two hard barrels on the night.

Matt McKnight, 3B Charlotte Catholic, 2025
North Carolina commit. We dove into the prospect of McKnight in an earlier scout blog. On this night, McKnight put together two solid at-bats in 3 trips. Found one barrel and walked once. The bat speed continues to impress.

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