The Crystal Springs Uplands Gryphons will face off against the Priory Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Crystal Springs Uplands will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Crystal Springs Uplands proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by six) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past More 3-1. While the Gryphons didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Rohan Seiber spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 11 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Nico Abad was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Priory posted their closest victory since April 16, 2024 on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Harker 9-7. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Kai Aalfs made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Aalfs was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Matthew Sun, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Owen Lee, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Priory was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .419. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harker only posted a batting average of .222.
Crystal Springs Uplands' win was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Priory, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Crystal Springs Uplands has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Priory struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Crystal Springs Uplands took their win against Priory when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 10-4. Will Crystal Springs Uplands repeat their success, or does Priory has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
