Baseball Recap: Nazarene Christian Academy Beats Westlake Academy for Their Fourth Straight Victory

Lions

Margin (Wins)

04/11/25 vs Heritage Christian	23
02/25/25 vs Keene	16
04/15/25 vs Newman International Academy	15
04/01/25 vs Azle Christian	12
04/01/25 vs Azle Christian	12

Nazarene Christian Academy hadn't done well against Westlake Academy recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Lions put the hurt on the Blacksmiths with a sharp 11-2 win. Considering the Lions have won nine matches by more than eight runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Noah Hargrove and Carson Drury were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Hargrove struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Drury pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hargrove has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. At bat, Hargrove went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Drury earned one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases. Those three RBI gave Hargrove a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Struble, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Will Smithers was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.

The victory (which was Nazarene Christian Academy's fourth in a row) raised their record to 14-4. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Westlake Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-4 record this season.

Nazarene Christian Academy will be playing at home against Prestonwood Christian North at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in the Lions' favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Prestonwood Christian North have been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road. Westlake Academy does not have any more games scheduled as of now.