The Hearts Academy Panthers will face off against the Central Christian Crusaders on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hearts Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Unity Christian as they made off with an 11-1 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Panthers, who have now won five matchups in a row.
| 04/25/25 vs Unity Christian | 10 |
| 03/03/25 @ Covington Academy | 9 |
| 04/15/25 vs Harvester Christian Academy | 6 |
| 03/18/25 @ Pinecrest Academy | 5 |
| 03/11/25 vs Central Christian | 3 |
Jameson Wood made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Kyle Stubblefield was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Cole Trawick was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Hearts Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Unity Christian only posted an OBP of .292.
Meanwhile, Central Christian got the win against Oakwood Christian on Monday by a conclusive 9-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Like Hearts Academy, Central Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Luke Sweatman. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Sweatman was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Stephen Binggeli was excellent, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one triple. Another player making a difference was Nick DiCicco, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Hearts Academy's win bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Central Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 12-8.
Hearts Academy beat Central Christian 9-6 in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
