Baseball Game Preview: Del Norte Knights vs. Oak Grove Classical Academy Owls

The Del Norte Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Oak Grove Classical Academy Owls at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Del Norte has struggled recently with ten losses in a row, while Oak Grove Classical Academy will arrive with five straight victories.

Del Norte's last matchup with Manzano could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's match on Wednesday. The Knights came up short against the Monarchs, falling 13-0.

Meanwhile, Oak Grove Classical Academy got the win against Jemez Valley on Monday by a conclusive 19-3. The Owls might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by ten runs or more this season.

Ben Fernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.

In other batting news, Miles Shiver was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and five RBI. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Isaac Rush was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-2.

Del Norte's defeat dropped their record down to 1-14-1. As for Oak Grove Classical Academy, the win got them back to even at 6-6.