The Maranatha Christian Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Scripps Ranch Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Maranatha Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Maranatha Christian earned a 6-1 win over Del Norte.
Zeke Smith and Levi Ham were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Smith pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also only allowed one walk). Meanwhile, Ham didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits over 4.1 innings pitched. Smith has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Smith scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Ham fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-4.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was JT Bried, who went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Scripps Ranch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell just short of Classical Academy by a score of 4-3.
Scripps Ranch saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Ham, who went 2-for-3 with a home run. Another player making a difference was Daniel Lee, who went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Even though they lost, Scripps Ranch lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Maranatha Christian pushed their record up to 9-3 with that victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs per game. As for Scripps Ranch, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-9.
Scripps Ranch's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Maranatha Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .449. It's a different story for Scripps Ranch, though, as they've only averaged .361. Will they be able to contain Maranatha Christian's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
