Grace Christian hasn't had much luck against Foundation Christian Academy recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Patriots will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Grace Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Grace Christian is headed into Thursday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Indian Rocks Christian.
Ian Johns was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Kyler Rickenbach
| 04/08/25 vs Indian Rocks Christian | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Hernando Christian Academy | 2 |
| 02/18/25 @ Zephyrhills Christian Academy | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Canterbury | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
In other batting news, Kyler Rickenbach was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Grace Christian is 3-1 when Rickenbach posts two or more runs, but 4-5 otherwise.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Foundation Christian Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They never let Ruskin Christian get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Tuesday. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by ten runs or more this season.
Foundation Christian Academy got a massive performance out of Luke Michie, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most stolen bases Michie has posted since back in March. Ryan Ortiz was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Foundation Christian Academy's win was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-3-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Grace Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Grace Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Foundation Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
