Jefferson Academy extended their losing streak to six on Tuesday, dropping their season record down to 2-13-1 in the process. They came up short against the Forge Christian Fury, falling 15-5. The Jaguars were not able to make up for their loss to the Fury from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.
Ben Pederson was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and seven unearned) runs off seven hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one run and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
Pederson wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Austen Bauer, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
As for Forge Christian, they pushed their record up to 12-2 with the victory, which was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games.
Like Jefferson Academy, Forge Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Sam Buerck. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Buerck has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Jonathan Tipton looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Ben McLean, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Sullivan Strange was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
While Jefferson Academy had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
