Baseball Recap: New Life Academy Continues Home Dominance on Wednesday

The home team had won the previous four meetings between New Life Academy and Minnehaha Academy, and New Life Academy kept the tradition alive. The Eagles sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 victory over the Red Hawks on Wednesday. While the Eagles didn't have the best season last year (they finished 2-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Nate Duval made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sam Kowalski, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Gavin McCulloch was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.

New Life Academy's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Minnehaha Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last eight matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. New Life Academy will venture away from home to take on St. Paul Academy-Summit at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Eagles are facing the Spartans at the right time seeing as the Spartans are stuck on a four-game losing streak. As for Minnehaha Academy, they will head out on the road to square off against St. Croix Prep at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Lions have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 6.58 runs per game on average), something the Red Hawks will no doubt try to take advantage of.