Baseball Recap: Scottsdale Preparatory Academy Comes Up Short

The Scottsdale Preparatory Academy Spartans didn't have quite enough to beat the St. John Paul II Catholic Lions on Monday and fell 6-5. That's two games in a row now that the Spartans have lost by just one run.

Sehaj Malhi was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over 5.2 innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one run.

In other batting news, Cade Zawada was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Kannon Czochara also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.

Scottsdale Preparatory Academy dropped their record down to 6-9 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road. As for St. John Paul II Catholic, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season.

Scottsdale Preparatory Academy will be playing at home against Red Rock at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Spartans are facing the Scorpions at the right time seeing as the Scorpions are stuck on a nine-game losing streak. As for St. John Paul II Catholic, they are taking a road trip to challenge Glendale Prep Academy at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The Griffins will roll in looking for their sixth straight victory, something the Lions surely won't give up without a fight.