Baseball Game Preview: Northwest Christian School Crusaders vs. Newport Grizzlies

For the second straight game, Northwest Christian School will face off against Newport. Northwest Christian School will challenge Newport at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Northwest Christian School fell victim to Newport and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Grizzlies. Having soared to a lofty 19 runs in the game before, the Crusaders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

For Newport's part, Hank Kirkwood was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Kirkwood was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double.

Kirkwood wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Bradley Martin III, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another was Gavin Estrada, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.

The win (which was Newport's third in a row) raised their record to 3-0. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average this season. As for Northwest Christian School, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-2.

Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northwest Christian School hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Newport struggles in that department as they've averaged .423. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.