Gaston Christian will venture away from home to challenge Concord Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Gaston Christian fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Greater Cabarrus S on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Stallions by a score of 6-5.
Bailey Livengood was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Livengood wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lana Hanson, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Concord Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Metrolina Christian Academy on Thursday, sneaking past 5-4. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Eagles as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Caisyn Berg spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Milee Amburn, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in triples (two). Addison Carmean also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Concord Academy's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-5. As for Gaston Christian, their loss was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 2-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Gaston Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Concord Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Gaston Christian came out on top in a nail-biter against Concord Academy when the teams last played last Tuesday, sneaking past 8-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gaston Christian since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
