The American Leadership Academy Patriots will challenge the Horse Creek Academy Stallions at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for American Leadership Academy's offense. They lost 7-0 to Saluda on Tuesday. That's two games in a row now that the Patriots have lost by exactly seven runs.
American Leadership Academy saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jake Cantor, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Meanwhile, Horse Creek Academy waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over the War Eagles. That's two games straight that the Stallions have won by exactly ten runs.
Bryce Gunter and Iniko Barker were a major factor while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Gunter struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Meanwhile, Barker tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in February of 2024. At the plate, Gunter scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Barker scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Barker a new career-high in doubles (two).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brice Abney, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. He is becoming a predictor of Horse Creek Academy's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Cameron English, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Horse Creek Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Horse Creek Academy's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for American Leadership Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-3 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. American Leadership Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Horse Creek Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
