Ezekiel Academy hasn't had much luck against Evangel Christian recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Ezekiel Academy Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Evangel Christian Lightning at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Evangel Christian's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: Ezekiel Academy hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. Ezekiel Academy didn't even let Heritage Christian Academy on the board on Thursday, marking Ezekiel Academy's second-straight 8-0 shutout. Surprisingly, this marked the third straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Sarah Vick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and three runs.
In other batting news, Lauryn Darnell was incredible, going 1-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Baylee Horn was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
Ezekiel Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Heritage Christian Academy only posted an OBP of .062.
Meanwhile, Evangel Christian got themselves on the board against Wiregrass on Friday, but Wiregrass never followed suit. They blew past the Kings 13-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lightning.
Evangel Christian got a massive performance out of Lilli Whitfield, who scored three runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Raylee Evans, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Ezekiel Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. Evangel Christian's win bumped their record up to 8-4.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ezekiel Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Evangel Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .505. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ezekiel Academy came up short against Evangel Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 7-2. Can Ezekiel Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
