Baseball Game Preview: Laurens Academy Crusaders vs. King Academy Knights

Laurens Academy is 2-8 against King Academy since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Crusaders will be playing at home against the Knights at 7:00 p.m. Laurens Academy has given up an average of 13.6 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Laurens Academy is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They lost 24-1 to Oakbrook Prep. The contest marked the Crusaders' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Meanwhile, King Academy came tearing into Tuesday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Patriots as they made off with a 16-9 win. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won four games by seven runs or more so far this season.

Elijah Hutto and Casen Buzhardt made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Hutto struck out seven batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and eight unearned) runs off seven hits. Meanwhile, Buzhardt pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has become a key player for King Academy: the team is 4-1 when he allows at most three hits, but 1-2 otherwise. At bat, Hutto scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances, while Buzhardt scored a run while going 2-for-5. Hutto is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.

In other batting news, Greyson Rikard was a standout: he fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 2-for-4. Those home runs were his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Landell Anderson, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and five RBI.

King Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.

Laurens Academy's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for King Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.

Laurens Academy couldn't quite get it done against King Academy in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 12-8. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.