The Isle of Wight Academy Chargers will head out to square off against the Grace Christian School Kings at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Isle of Wight Academy blew Southampton Academy out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Southampton Academy got their revenge. The Chargers fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Chargers have suffered against the Raiders since May 22, 2016.
Cody Thomas was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run. He also scored a run, marking his first of the season. Wyatt King was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian School entered their tilt with St. Anne's-Belfield on Friday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Saints. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Kings have posted since April 19, 2024.
Andrew Whittington was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Isle of Wight Academy's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-5. As for Grace Christian School, their win bumped their record up to 10-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Isle of Wight Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Grace Christian School struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Isle of Wight Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Grace Christian School in their previous meeting last Wednesday, winning 14-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
