Baseball Game Preview: Kennedy Crusaders vs. Payton College Prep Grizzlies

The Kennedy Crusaders are taking a road trip to take on the Payton College Prep Grizzlies at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Last Thursday, Kennedy didn't have quite enough to beat Jones and fell 6-5. The Crusaders have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meeting.

Luke Zavala made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Nicholas Reyes also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Payton College Prep). They were the clear victors by a 24-8 margin over Clemente on Thursday. With that victory, the Grizzlies brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.

John Seward looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.

At the plate, Max MacKenzie was a standout: he scored four runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-5. Derek Patton was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.

Payton College Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.

Kennedy now has a losing record of 3-4. As for Payton College Prep, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-7.

Payton College Prep's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Kennedy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. It's a different story for Payton College Prep, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Kennedy's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.