North Sanpete and American Leadership Academy are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. It'll be a Battle of the Birds when North Sanpete Hawks face off against American Leadership Academy Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. North Sanpete is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
North Sanpete managed to slip by Manti the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. North Sanpete lost 10-4 to Manti on Tuesday. The Hawks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hudson Smith
| 03/04/25 @ South Sevier | 3 |
| 03/12/25 @ Providence Hall | 2 |
Hudson Smith was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because North Sanpete is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-4 otherwise. Smith was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
Smith wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Preston Madsen, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, American Leadership Academy came up short against Judge Memorial Catholic on Tuesday, falling 15-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Eagles have suffered against the Bulldogs since April 20, 2023.
Andrew Ward made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple marked the first that he hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Gaige Morgan, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
North Sanpete now has a losing record of 4-5. As for American Leadership Academy, their defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Sanpete has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like American Leadership Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Sanpete couldn't quite get it done against American Leadership Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2024 as they fell 11-6. Can North Sanpete avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
