The Greenbrier Christian Academy Gators will take on the Western Branch Bruins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Greenbrier Christian Academy sitting on eight straight victories and Western Branch on six.
Greenbrier Christian Academy had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt StoneBridge on Tuesday. The Gators' pitchers stepped up to hand the Cavaliers an 11-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Gators, who have now won six contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Jon Cullipher looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Thomas Conrad was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Tucker Rupe was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Greenbrier Christian Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as StoneBridge only posted an OBP of .238.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Western Branch ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Lakeland 5-4.
Miles Melescu tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 11 over 5.2 innings pitched.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Wilson Tone, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jackson Walter, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Greenbrier Christian Academy's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Western Branch, their record is now 6-0.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Greenbrier Christian Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .518. However, it's not like Western Branch struggles in that department as they've averaged .478. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Greenbrier Christian Academy suffered a grim 23-7 defeat to Western Branch in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Gators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
