Liberty Baptist Academy hasn't had much luck against Indian Springs recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Knights will face off against the Thunderbirds at 10:00 a.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Liberty Baptist Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Pahranagat Valley, sneaking past 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Knights have posted since March 8th.
Noah McConnell made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Angelo Tatonetti, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Bruce Delgado, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Indian Springs won against Pahranagat Valley on Thursday with ten runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Thunderbirds blew past Liberty Baptist Academy 10-1. The result was nothing new for the Thunderbirds, who have now won 14 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Liberty Baptist Academy, Indian Springs also got a great game from a two-way player: Jacob Gourley. He struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts Gourley has posted since back in April. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with four stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Indian Springs got a big performance out of Adam Groeblinghoff, who went 1-for-3 with four stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Groeblinghoff has posted since back in April. Vance Dilger was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Liberty Baptist Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Indian Springs, the win was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 19-5.
Liberty Baptist Academy might still be hurting after the 10-1 defeat they got from Indian Springs in their previous matchup on Friday. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
