Baseball Preview: University Christian Christians vs. St. Johns Country Day Spartans
University Christian is 0-10 against St. Johns Country Day since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The University Christian Christians will head out on the road to take on the St. Johns Country Day Spartans at 7:00 p.m. University Christian is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last ten games.
University Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They skirted past Oak Hall 6-5.
Bubba Crouch made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Crouch was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
In other pitching news, University Christian got a great performance from Austin Pickett as he struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. Pickett has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Mason McLeod, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Camden Harnage was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, St. Johns Country Day gave their fans yet another huge victory on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by an 8-1 margin over Saint Francis Catholic.
Jack Ensell tossed a big game, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk).
On the hitting side, Seth Alford was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Nick Bowden, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
University Christian pushed their record up to 18-9 with that win, which was their tenth straight at home. As for St. Johns Country Day, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 21-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. University Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Johns Country Day struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
University Christian might still be hurting after the 17-2 loss they got from St. Johns Country Day when the teams last played back in March. Can University Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
