The Geneva Knights will face off against the Foundation Academy Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Geneva comes in on nine and Foundation Academy on five.
Geneva is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Master's Academy with a sharp 16-2 victory. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 17 games by eight runs or more this season.
Dallas Esperas
| 05/13/25 vs Master's Academy | 11 |
| 05/07/25 vs Foundation Christian Academy | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs Master's Academy | 9 |
| 04/29/25 vs Trinity Christian Academy | 6 |
| 04/11/25 vs Morningside Academy | 7 |
| + 2 more games |
Dallas Esperas made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ella Ingram, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Emma Bastian was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Geneva always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Master's Academy only posted an OBP of .167.
Meanwhile, Foundation Academy won against Cambridge Christian on Wednesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Lions blew past Lakeland Christian 11-1.
Like Geneva, Foundation Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Riley Winters. She pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Winters has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, Norah Ranaudo was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Elizabeth Ozim, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Geneva pushed their record up to 20-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.9 runs over those games. As for Foundation Academy, their win bumped their record up to 17-7.
Foundation Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Geneva has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Foundation Academy, though, as they've been averaging 9.6 hits. Given Geneva's sizable advantage in that area, the Lions will need to find a way to close that gap.
Geneva might still be hurting after the 8-2 defeat they got from Foundation Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
