Faith Christian is 1-9 against Rocky Mount Academy since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Patriots will welcome the Eagles at 6:30 p.m. The last five games Faith Christian has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Faith Christian's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Wilmington Christian Academy hitters got past them. Faith Christian fell just short of Wilmington Christian Academy by a score of 13-11 on Tuesday.
Ashton Lascallette put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since April 1st. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Michael Tyler made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run. That home run was his first of the season. Dylan Morgan was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount Academy got themselves on the board against Wilson Christian Academy on Tuesday, but Wilson Christian Academy never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Chargers. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 12 runs or more this season.
Like Faith Christian, Rocky Mount Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Deacon Stinson. Throwing, Stinson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Tripp Evans pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). At the plate, Stinson went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Evans went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan Creech-Jones, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs. He has become a key player for Rocky Mount Academy: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Garrett Bellamy, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs.
Rocky Mount Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Faith Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 19-6. As for Rocky Mount Academy, they moved to 7-7 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Faith Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rocky Mount Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Faith Christian skirted past Rocky Mount Academy 2-0 in their previous matchup back in March. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
