Wiregrass is 2-8 against Evangel Christian since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Kings will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lightning at 12:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Wiregrass' pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They skirted past Ezekiel Academy 1-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Kings have posted since March 16, 2024.
Zach Crisler
| 03/14/25 vs Evangel Christian | 7 |
| 04/05/25 vs Southern Christian | 5 |
| 03/22/25 vs Tuscaloosa Home Educators | 4 |
| 02/18/25 @ Abbeville Christian Academy | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Ezekiel Academy | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Not much got past Zach Crisler, who gave up just a hit and racked up 15 Ks to keep Ezekiel Academy off the board. Crisler is becoming a predictor of Wiregrass' success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 3-1 (and 4-7 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Evangel Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Southern Christian with a sharp 13-2 win on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Lightning, who have now won 14 games by six runs or more so far this season.
KC GABLES made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on RALEY CURTIS, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Kemp Swords was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Evangel Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southern Christian only posted an OBP of .350.
Evangel Christian pushed their record up to 25-3 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Wiregrass, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-8 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wiregrass has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Evangel Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wiregrass couldn't quite get it done against Evangel Christian in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 6-1. Can the Kings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
