vs
| 03/14/25 - Away | 4-1 W |
| 05/02/24 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 04/09/24 - Away | 7-0 W |
| 05/04/23 - Neutral | 7-0 W |
| 03/30/23 - Away | 4-13 L |
| + 5 more games |
Metrolina Christian Academy and Hickory Grove Christian are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2021, but likely not for long. The Warriors will be playing at home against the Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hickory Grove Christian will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Metrolina Christian Academy extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. Everything went the Warriors' way against Gaston Christian as they made off with a 13-4 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Warriors considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Metrolina Christian Academy got a great performance from Case Gibbs as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Gibbs has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Jacob Seamon was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March. Another player making a difference was Caleb Hunter, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, Hickory Grove Christian got themselves on the board against SouthLake Christian Academy on Tuesday, but SouthLake Christian Academy never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Eagles. The win was familiar territory for the Lions, who have now won three matches in a row.
Davis Cabbage and Ben Green made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Cabbage struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Green tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Cabbage also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Hickory Grove Christian is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 6-7 otherwise. At the plate, Cabbage scored three runs, while Green went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gavin Pelow, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Hickory Grove Christian's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-7 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Nathan Dowdy, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Hickory Grove Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive games.
Hickory Grove Christian pushed their record up to 9-7 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Metrolina Christian Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 20-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Metrolina Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hickory Grove Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Metrolina Christian Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Hickory Grove Christian in their previous meeting back in March, winning 4-1. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
