Baseball Game Preview: American Leadership Academy-Johnston Patriots vs. Goldsboro Cougars

The American Leadership Academy-Johnston Patriots will take on the Goldsboro Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last four games American Leadership Academy-Johnston has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

American Leadership Academy-Johnston fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Oxford Prep on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Griffins by a score of 5-4.

Robert Boswell made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.

Arendell Parrott Academy hit Goldsboro with a six-run seventh inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Cougars lost 13-2 to the Patriots. The Cougars have struggled against the Patriots recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Goldsboro saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brayden Smith, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Avery Grant was another, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.

American Leadership Academy-Johnston has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last eight matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-6 record this season. As for Goldsboro, their loss dropped their record down to 6-12.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. American Leadership Academy-Johnston has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Goldsboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

American Leadership Academy-Johnston skirted past Goldsboro 1-0 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.