The Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders will face off against the Kerr-Vance Academy Spartans at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Harrells Christian Academy is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Wake Christian Academy on Monday. They lost 8-2 to the Bulldogs.
Jesse Smith was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Kerr-Vance Academy). They put the hurt on Halifax Academy with a sharp 19-3 win on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Spartans with their most commanding win of the season.
Nathan McDaniel made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He is becoming a predictor of Kerr-Vance Academy's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is 2-1 (and 2-7 when he doesn't). McDaniel was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Jaxton Stokes was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ayden Devine, who scored two runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.
Kerr-Vance Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.7 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.2.
Harrells Christian Academy has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-9 record this season. As for Kerr-Vance Academy, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-8.
Harrells Christian Academy beat Kerr-Vance Academy 7-3 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
