The Grace Christian Warriors will venture away from home to square off against the Blue Ridge Barons at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Grace Christian will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Grace Christian had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt Roanoke Catholic on Thursday. The Warriors blew past the Celtics 11-0. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won four matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Landon Wright
| 04/24/25 vs Roanoke Catholic | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Christian Heritage Academy | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Highland | 1 |
| 04/20/24 vs Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy | 1 |
| 04/16/24 vs Bath County | 1 |
Elijah McCaskill and Landon Wright made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, McCaskill tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Wright pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. McCaskill has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. At bat, McCaskill went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Wright went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three doubles gave Wright a new career-high.
In other batting news, Ethan Wright was excellent, going 1-for-2 with three runs and one stolen base. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Zeke Cozzolino was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
North Cross hit Blue Ridge with a 14-run fourth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Barons lost 19-9 to the Raiders. The Barons have struggled against the Raiders recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Ty Collins was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jason Byers, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI.
Grace Christian pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Blue Ridge, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Grace Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Blue Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Grace Christian took their win against Blue Ridge when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 21-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
