The Atlantic Coast Stingrays will head out to challenge the University Christian Christians at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Atlantic Coast is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
Atlantic Coast picked up another tournament win on Friday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over First Coast. The result was nothing new for the Stingrays, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Dalton Tibbetts was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Tibbetts was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Wade Surber, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Noah Prudencio, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Atlantic Coast always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as First Coast only posted an OBP of .370.
Meanwhile, University Christian posted their closest victory since March 17th on Monday. They skirted past Sandalwood 5-4.
Noah Moffat looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mason McLeod was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Bryson Harnage was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI.
Atlantic Coast pushed their record up to 15-8 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for University Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Atlantic Coast has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like University Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Atlantic Coast's way against University Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2024, as Atlantic Coast made off with a 10-0 win. Will the Stingrays repeat their success, or do the Christians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
