Baseball Game Preview: Aquinas Academy Crusaders vs. Winchester Thurston

For the second straight game, Aquinas Academy will face off against Winchester Thurston. Aquinas Academy will head out to square off against Winchester Thurston at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Aquinas Academy has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Aquinas Academy came up short against Winchester Thurston on Monday, falling 20-7. The loss continues a trend for the Crusaders in their meetings with Winchester Thurston: they've now lost three in a row.

For Winchester Thurston's part, Lucas Picher made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Picher was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-5. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.

In other batting news, Mason Witten was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Benji Smuckler, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.

Winchester Thurston was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .486. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Aquinas Academy only posted a batting average of .318.

The win (which was Winchester Thurston's third in a row) raised their record to 5-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.7 runs over those games. As for Aquinas Academy, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 2-2.

Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Aquinas Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .517. However, it's not like Winchester Thurston struggles in that department as they've averaged .518. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.