The Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy Royals will take on the Nordonia Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Nordonia took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, who comes in off a win.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy came out on top against Chagrin Falls on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run seventh inning. The Royals put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 8-2 victory. The Royals not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 28th (when they won 12-3).
Thad Eaton and Kyle Shaw dominated on the mound. Eaton pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits, while Shaw struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts Shaw has posted since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Jacob Lancy was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Ryan Wiehe was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Nordonia was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their tenth straight loss dating back to last season. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Solon.
Dominik Canzoni put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. Canzoni was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Canzoni wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ben Chesser, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double.
Nordonia's defeat dropped their record down to 0-8. As for Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 8-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Nordonia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
