The Vandalia Christian Vikings will take on the Asheboro Hybrid Academy Warriors in a tournament on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Vandalia Christian put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. They put the hurt on Liberty Christian with a sharp 18-3 win. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Vikings with their most commanding win of the season.
Nate Collins made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Vandalia Christian's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 6-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't).
Cole Boody
| 04/17/25 vs Liberty Christian | 5 |
| 04/14/25 @ Triad Baptist Christian Academy | 4 |
| 03/06/25 vs Union Grove Christian | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Asheboro Hybrid Academy | 3 |
| 04/23/24 @ Triad Baptist Christian Academy | 3 |
In other batting news, Vandalia Christian got a massive performance out of Cole Boody, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave Boody a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacob Baynes, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Vandalia Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .775. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Asheboro Hybrid Academy fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Oak Level Baptist Academy on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 22-19 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Conquerors. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game two weeks ago (12), the Warriors still had to take the loss.
Zach Cooke and Wesley Parks did some serious damage despite the final result: Cooke got on base in five of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Parks went 4-for-6 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Levi Hogan, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with two RBI.
Vandalia Christian has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for Asheboro Hybrid Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Vandalia Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Asheboro Hybrid Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Vandalia Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Asheboro Hybrid Academy in their previous matchup on April 1st, winning 7-2. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
