The East Central HomeSchool Patriots will face off against the Tuscaloosa Home Educators Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. East Central HomeSchool is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
East Central HomeSchool barely beat Tabernacle the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. East Central HomeSchool was the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over Tabernacle on Monday. Considering the Patriots have won three matchups by more than seven runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Andrew Barksdale
| 02/18/25 @ Heritage Christian Academy | 13 |
| 03/17/25 @ Tabernacle | 11 |
| 02/13/25 @ Cullman | 9 |
| 03/07/25 vs Cullman | 8 |
| 02/25/25 @ Tuscaloosa Christian | 4 |
| + 1 more games |
Andrew Barksdale was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. East Central HomeSchool is undefeated when Barksdale posts eight or more strikeouts, but 1-4 otherwise. Barksdale was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. He also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Andrew McGowan was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cade Best, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Tuscaloosa Home Educators' offense. They came up short against Evangel Christian on Tuesday, falling 12-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Warriors were not able to get on the board.
This is the second loss in a row for Tuscaloosa Home Educators and nudges their season record down to 5-3. As for East Central HomeSchool, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Central HomeSchool has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tuscaloosa Home Educators struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
East Central HomeSchool took their victory against Tuscaloosa Home Educators when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-4. Will East Central HomeSchool repeat their success, or does Tuscaloosa Home Educators have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
