Baseball Game Preview: Northwest Christian Crusaders vs. Gilbert Christian Knights

Northwest Christian is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Gilbert Christian is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Crusaders will host the Knights at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Northwest Christian 3.5, Gilbert Christian 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Northwest Christian barely beat ALA - Ironwood the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Crusaders were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Warriors on Friday. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by seven runs or more this season.

Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Gilbert Christian was a bit more limited in their game on Wednesday. They fell 6-1 to Yuma Catholic. The Knights' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Caleb Johnson was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had over his last four contests.

Northwest Christian is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Gilbert Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-8.

Northwest Christian skirted past Gilbert Christian 4-3 in their previous meeting back in March. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.