North Florida Christian hasn't had much luck against University Christian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Eagles will take on the Christians at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
North Florida Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on St. John Paul II with a sharp 9-2 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.
Gabrielle Hughes and Skylar Young made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Hughes tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Young didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. At bat, Hughes went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one RBI, while Young went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs Hughes has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Allison Townley, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brynlee Pafford, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, University Christian's rock-solid pitchers showed up for the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Tuesday. They never let Harvest Community get on the board and left with an 8-0 win. The Christians haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Like North Florida Christian, University Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Piper Tessier. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Tessier was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
In other pitching news, Dixie Tessier tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched.
Back at the plate, Mila Lackowski was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Elissa Murdock, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
North Florida Christian pushed their record up to 15-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for University Christian, their win bumped their record up to 19-4.
North Florida Christian suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to University Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.