American Leadership Academy hasn't had much luck against Providence Hall recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 3:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Providence Hall will take on a team with plenty of momentum: American Leadership Academy extended their winning streak to three last Thursday. The Eagles blew past Judge Memorial Catholic 25-13.
Jackie Huff was a standout: she went 4-for-6 with six stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.4 stolen bases per game. Another player making a difference was Ryan Hiss, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in six of her seven plate appearances.
American Leadership Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Providence Hall had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 runs) and they went ahead and made it three last Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 29-3 margin over the Bears. The Patriots' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Taycee Metts made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, scoring four runs while going 2-for-4. Those four runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Alysa Marcek was incredible, firing off two home runs, seven RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-5. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Madelyn Johnson, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Providence Hall pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for American Leadership Academy, the win got them back to even at 5-5.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. American Leadership Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. However, it's not like Providence Hall struggles in that department as they've averaged .417. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
American Leadership Academy might still be hurting after the 18-2 defeat they got from Providence Hall when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
