Ponce De Leon and Rocky Bayou Christian are an even 4-4 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. The Pirates will be playing in front of their home fans against the Knights at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday. Ponce De Leon is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.6 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Ponce De Leon got the win against Poplar Springs by a conclusive 13-2. The Pirates might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by ten runs or more this season.
Dalton Churchwell
| 04/01/25 @ Poplar Springs | 12 |
| 03/17/25 vs Vernon | 11 |
| 04/29/24 vs Bethlehem | 11 |
| 03/19/24 @ Poplar Springs | 11 |
| 04/16/24 @ Malone | 9 |
Dalton Churchwell made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Braiden Yates was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Ponce De Leon's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Trey Rushing was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Rocky Bayou Christian fell victim to Lighthouse Private Christian Academy and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They lost 6-0 to the Stingrays. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Knights' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Ponce De Leon pushed their record up to 8-4 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Rocky Bayou Christian, with the loss, they broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 6-5-1.
Rocky Bayou Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ponce De Leon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. It's a different story for Rocky Bayou Christian, though, as they've only averaged .247. Will they be able to contain Ponce De Leon's hitters?
Ponce De Leon took their victory against Rocky Bayou Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-2 score. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
