The Durham Academy Cavaliers are taking a road trip to challenge the Ravenscroft Ravens at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Durham Academy will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Monday, then bounced right back against Raleigh HomeSchool on Thursday. The Cavaliers put the hurt on the Hawks with a sharp 10-4 victory. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Cavaliers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Zach Plavnik
| 04/17/25 @ Raleigh HomeSchool | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ Cary Academy | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs East Chapel Hill | 1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Durham School of the Arts | 1 |
| 04/04/24 vs Prestonsburg | 1 |
Zach Plavnik made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Benjamin Kuo was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in February. Austin Gunsch also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Ravenscroft never let their opponents score last Thursday. They walked away with a 4-0 win over Cary Academy. The victory continues a trend for the Ravens in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won five in a row.
Like Durham Academy, Ravenscroft also got a great game from a two-way player: Will Eichler. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Eichler also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Ravenscroft is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-6 otherwise. Eichler was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Matthew Madewell, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Ravenscroft: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three hits, but 4-7 otherwise. Matt Ulicny was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.
Ravenscroft kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Durham Academy's win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-10. As for Ravenscroft, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Durham Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ravenscroft struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Durham Academy couldn't quite finish off Ravenscroft in their previous meeting back in March and fell 3-1. Can the Cavaliers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
