The New Braunfels Thunder Homeschool will take on the Founders Classical Academy Hoplites at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
New Braunfels Thunder gave up the first runs last Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 9-3 margin over San Marcos Academy. The result was nothing new for the Homeschool, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Justin Rusick, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Paxton Lerma, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Founders Classical Academy beat IDEA Monterrey Park College Prep 8-4 on Tuesday.
Luke McCaw made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off only two hits. McCaw was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, John Spalding was incredible, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. Spalding is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Logan Blumhoff was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Founders Classical Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .355 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
New Braunfels Thunder's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-6-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Founders Classical Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
Founders Classical Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: New Braunfels Thunder has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Founders Classical Academy, though, as they've been averaging 9.7 hits. Given New Braunfels Thunder's sizable advantage in that area, the Hoplites will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
