The Wonderful College Prep Academy Wolves will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Kings Christian Crusaders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Wonderful College Prep Academy has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with four straight defeats, while Kings Christian will come in with three straight wins.
Wonderful College Prep Academy managed to slip by Summit Charter Collegiate Academy the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Wolves came up short against the Bears on Tuesday, falling 10-4. The game snapped a strange streak: the last three times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Wonderful College Prep Academy saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sebastian Ruiz, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run was Ruiz's first of the season. Another was Isreal Milanes, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Kings Christian got the win against Laton on Friday by a conclusive 14-4.
Haiden Kelso made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-5. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, Kings Christian let Jasiah Zamaripa and Caiden Irwin run wild. Zamaripa scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in five of his seven plate appearances, while Irwin got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. What's more, Zamaripa posted three hits, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Rusty Martin, who scored a run while getting on base in four of his seven plate appearances.
Kings Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 14 hits in three consecutive contests.
Kings Christian pushed their record up to 4-7-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Wonderful College Prep Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wonderful College Prep Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kings Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wonderful College Prep Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Kings Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. Do the Wolves have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Crusaders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
