The Rocky Mount Academy Eagles will face off against the Grace Christian Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Friday, Rocky Mount Academy got the win against Faith Christian by a conclusive 9-2. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now won six in a row.
Berkeley Miller
| 03/28/25 vs Faith Christian | 11 |
| 03/21/25 @ Grace Christian | 11 |
| 03/19/25 vs Martin County | 7 |
| 03/13/25 @ Harrells Christian Academy | 9 |
| 03/11/25 vs Halifax Academy | 12 |
Berkeley Miller made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Martha Calhoun, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Bailee Allen, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Rocky Mount Academy lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian hadn't done well against Rocky Mount Academy recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way last Friday. Grace Christian blew past Rocky Mount Academy 12-2. The result was nothing new for the Crusaders, who have now won five matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Rocky Mount Academy, Grace Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Hayley Pugh. On the mound, she tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Pugh was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Olivia Hochevar was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Abby Carville was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
Grace Christian's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Rocky Mount Academy, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Rocky Mount Academy hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Grace Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Rocky Mount Academy might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Grace Christian in their previous matchup last Friday. Will Rocky Mount Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
