The Ezekiel Academy Knights will venture away from home to take on the Lakeside School Chiefs at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Ezekiel Academy is coming into the contest hot, having won their last ten games.
Ezekiel Academy's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They put the hurt on Southern Academy with a sharp 8-0 win. Considering the Knights have won 13 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Sarah Vick was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Baylee Horn, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Lauryn Darnell was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lakeside School, who bounced back after a loss on the road on March 11th. They blew past Southern Christian 14-8 last Thursday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Chiefs needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Like Ezekiel Academy, Lakeside School also got a great game from a two-way player: Addison Phillips. She struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits. Phillips was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Calleigh Caldwell was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Amelia Clements, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Lakeside School kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Ezekiel Academy pushed their record up to 21-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Lakeside School, their record is now 3-1.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ezekiel Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Lakeside School struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ezekiel Academy took their victory against Lakeside School in their previous meeting on March 11th by a conclusive 12-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ezekiel Academy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
