The Burlington Christian Academy Royals will head out to square off against the Dudley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Dudley will be up against a hot Burlington Christian Academy team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Burlington Christian Academy blew past Freedom Christian Academy 13-7 on Thursday. Burlington Christian Academy's win was all the more impressive since the Patriots were averaging only 3.83 runs allowed on the season.
Cohen Payne
| 03/27/25 vs Freedom Christian Academy | 3 |
| 03/06/25 @ Salem Baptist Christian | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Greater Vision Academy | 2 |
| 04/26/24 vs SouthLake Christian Academy | 2 |
| 04/25/24 @ Caldwell Academy | 2 |
Cohen Payne made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in May of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Anthony Valdez, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Mark Primm also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Burlington Christian Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .424. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Freedom Christian Academy only posted a batting average of .276.
While Dudley didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on Eastern Guilford with a sharp 15-4 victory on Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Panthers sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Donovan Locklear was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Dudley's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 5-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Dudley got a massive performance out of Jayven Baize, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, three runs, and one double. Dudley is undefeated when Baize posts two or more runs, but 1-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Brayden Jeffries, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Burlington Christian Academy pushed their record up to 11-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Dudley, their record is now 7-4.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Burlington Christian Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .494. However, it's not like Dudley struggles in that department as they've averaged .533. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
