Friendship Christian is 1-9 against Thales Academy Apex since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Falcons will look to defend their home field against the Titans at 6:30 p.m. Friendship Christian has given up an average of 16.8 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Friendship Christian is headed into Monday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their ninth straight game dating back to last season back in March. They lost 15-1 to Thales Academy Rolesville. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Falcons couldn't push the score so high this time.
Thales Academy Apex hadn't beaten Thales Academy Rolesville on the road since April 20, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Titans were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over the Knights. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won four contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Rylan Sheldon made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Thales Academy Apex's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tanner Murphy, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was James Speight, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Thales Academy Apex was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Thales Academy Rolesville only posted a batting average of .250.
Thales Academy Apex pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Friendship Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Friendship Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .700. However, it's not like Thales Academy Apex struggles in that department as they've averaged .410. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Friendship Christian suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Thales Academy Apex when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Falcons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
