The American Leadership Academy Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Pelion Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
American Leadership Academy came into their game on Wednesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 9-1 to Spring Valley.
American Leadership Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Eli Tucker, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pelion, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 15-5 margin over Wagener-Salley on Wednesday.
Bryce Derrick looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Blake Brown, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, one triple, and one run. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Will Green was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Pelion kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.8.
Pelion is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-12 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for American Leadership Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 11 of their last 12 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-16 record this season.
American Leadership Academy skirted past Pelion 4-3 when the teams last played on Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
