Northside Christian is on a seven-game streak of home losses dating back to last season, and Shekinah Christian a three-game streak of away losses. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Saturday. The Northside Christian Lions will be playing at home against the Shekinah Christian Flames at 10:00 a.m. Northside Christian has given up an average of 12.9 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Northside Christian came up short against Granville Christian Academy on Friday, falling 19-4.
Northside Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Braden Miller, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Shekinah Christian made sure to put some runs up on the board against Madison Christian last Tuesday. The Flames were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over the Eagles. The Flames might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by 11 runs or more this season.
Aiden Nofziger made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Shekinah Christian: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alex Bauermeister, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Jayce Yoder, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one double.
Shekinah Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Madison Christian only posted an OBP of .348.
Shekinah Christian has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Northside Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northside Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Shekinah Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northside Christian might still be hurting after the 24-0 loss they got from Shekinah Christian when the teams last played back in April. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
