The GRACE Christian Eagles will square off against the North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
GRACE Christian will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Wake Christian Academy, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 13-6 margin over the Bulldogs on Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Eagles sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Addison Vercellino
| 04/25/25 vs Wake Christian Academy | 16 |
| 04/01/25 @ Ravenscroft | 15 |
| 03/25/25 vs Franklin Academy | 13 |
| 03/10/25 vs Harrells Christian Academy | 10 |
| 04/08/25 @ Fayetteville Christian | 6 |
Addison Vercellino made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Those 16 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Audrey Lester was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Lydia Lester, who went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and two runs.
GRACE Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .567. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .370 or higher in ten consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, North Raleigh Christian Academy was not the first on the board last Thursday, but they got there more often. Everything went their way against Cary Academy as they made off with an 18-8 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Knights.
Like GRACE Christian, North Raleigh Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Taylor Gardner. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Gardner has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of her five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, North Raleigh Christian Academy let Cora Harmsen and Presley Harrison run wild. Harmsen got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple, while Harrison went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Sarah Vance was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
GRACE Christian pushed their record up to 11-2 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for North Raleigh Christian Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 6-10.
North Raleigh Christian Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: GRACE Christian has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.7 hits per game. It's a different story for North Raleigh Christian Academy, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given GRACE Christian's sizable advantage in that area, the Knights will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
