The United Christian Academy Eagles will take on the Bethel Christian Kings at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. United Christian Academy is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last eight games.
United Christian Academy's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 21-0 margin over La Sierra Academy. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won seven contests by nine runs or more so far this season.
Lariah Avila
| 05/06/25 vs La Sierra Academy | 12 |
| 05/01/25 vs Sherman Indian | 11 |
| 04/29/25 vs California Lutheran | 6 |
| 04/25/25 @ Sherman Indian | 7 |
| 04/08/25 vs California School for the Deaf-Riverside | 8 |
| + 5 more games |
Lariah Avila made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with seven RBI, two runs, and one double. Those seven RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, United Christian Academy got a massive performance out of Sofia Barcelo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Kirin Barcelo was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
United Christian Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 15.2.
Meanwhile, Bethel Christian unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Thursday. They came up short against Calvary Baptist, falling 16-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Kings have suffered since February 25th.
Bethel Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kaila Ellison, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Ellison has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last eight times she's played.
United Christian Academy's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Bethel Christian, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 14-7.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. United Christian Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .437. However, it's not like Bethel Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
United Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 17-7 defeat they got from Bethel Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
