Softball Game Preview: Covenant Day Lions vs. Hickory Grove Christian Lions

We've got a battle between Lions coming up. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Covenant Day has seven straight wins, Hickory Grove Christian has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Covenant Day proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 17) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Ashley Ridge 9-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Lions have posted since May 10, 2024.

Reilly Jane (RJ) Llaneza

Batters Struck Out (Career)

03/19/25 @ Ashley Ridge	6
03/12/25 @ Charlotte Country Day School	5
03/03/25 vs Metrolina Christian Academy	4
03/18/25 @ Lucy Beckham	3
03/18/25 @ James Island	1

Reilly Jane (RJ) Llaneza was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Avery Houseton, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Allen, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Hickory Grove Christian lost 14-3 to Piedmont Community Charter on Thursday.

Covenant Day pushed their record up to 9-1-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 9.3 runs. As for Hickory Grove Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.

Covenant Day took their win against Hickory Grove Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 7-0. Does Covenant Day have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hickory Grove Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.