vs
| 05/11/23 - Home | 9-7 W |
| 03/28/16 - Away | 11-0 W |
| 03/30/15 - Home | 3-1 W |
South Bend Washington is a perfect 3-0 against Elkhart Christian Academy since March of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Panthers will welcome the Eagles at 5:30 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
South Bend Washington is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let South Bend Career Academy get on the board and left with a 22-0 victory on Saturday. The win was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Elkhart Christian Academy made sure to put some runs up on the board against Hamilton on Friday. The Eagles put the hurt on the Marines with a sharp 13-3 victory. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Marines recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
James Ramirez made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played.
In other batting news, Elkhart Christian Academy got a big performance out of Isaac Hurt, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Hurt is becoming a predictor of the Eagles' success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 2-15 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Fisher, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Elkhart Christian Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .611. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
South Bend Washington picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 4-12. As for Elkhart Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 5-15.
South Bend Washington skirted past Elkhart Christian Academy 9-7 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
