The Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors will face off against the Foundation Christian Academy Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Zephyrhills Christian Academy sitting on four straight victories and Foundation Christian Academy on three.
Zephyrhills Christian Academy had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 16-run drubbing they dealt First Baptist Christian Academy on Friday. Zephyrhills Christian Academy blew past First Baptist Christian Academy 19-3. That looming 19-3 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Warriors yet this season.
Giancarlo Garcia made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Garcia was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Gabriel Novo was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two triples, five RBI, and three runs. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Tatum Dulaski was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Zephyrhills Christian Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Foundation Christian Academy hadn't done well against Victory Christian Academy recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Foundation Christian Academy had just enough and edged out Victory Christian Academy 3-1.
Like Zephyrhills Christian Academy, Foundation Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Caleb Hom. On the mound, he pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Furthermore, Hom didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last seven times he's played.
Hom wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Levi Rickley, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Zephyrhills Christian Academy's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-5. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Foundation Christian Academy, their win was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-1-1 and their overall record up to 10-1-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Zephyrhills Christian Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .488. However, it's not like Foundation Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .540. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Zephyrhills Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 19-4 loss they got from Foundation Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Zephyrhills Christian Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
