The Combine Academy National Goats will face off against the Grace Christian Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Five must be Combine Academy National's lucky number: they beat Charlotte S with that score not once but twice last Tuesday. The Goats beat the Stampede by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-3. The victory was familiar territory for the Goats, who have now won three contests in a row.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian had just enough and edged out Cary Christian 4-2 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Luke Roupe spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 15 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jimmy Alfonsin, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Alex Pena Jimenez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Grace Christian's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Combine Academy National, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
