Baseball Game Preview: St. Edmund Prep Eagles vs. Grace Christian Patriots

The St. Edmund Prep Eagles will challenge the Grace Christian Patriots at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Edmund Prep has now lost nine straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since March 19.

St. Edmund Prep lost 16-1 to Xaverian last Monday.

Meanwhile, Grace Christian made easy work of Ruskin Christian on Tuesday and carried off a 12-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won seven matches by seven runs or more so far this season.

Ian Johns spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits. He is becoming a predictor of Grace Christian's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is undefeated (and 6-7 when he doesn't).

On the hitting side, Grace Christian let Ethan Heruska and Benjamin Fanelli run wild. Heruska went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Fanelli went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave Fanelli a new career-high. Braden Johns was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

The victory made it two in a row for Grace Christian and bumps their season record up to 9-7. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for St. Edmund Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-9-1.