The L.E.A.D. Academy Lions will head out on the road to square off against the Laurel Hill Hoboes at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. L.E.A.D. Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, L.E.A.D. Academy got the win against Gulf Pointe Latin by a conclusive 15-1. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Gladiators: they've now won six in a row.
Logan Badejo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Badejo was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Silas Brown
| 04/08/25 @ Gulf Pointe Latin | 4 |
| 03/11/25 vs Gulf Pointe Latin | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Munroe | 3 |
| 03/03/25 vs Atmore Christian | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Pine Forest | 2 |
In other batting news, L.E.A.D. Academy got a massive performance out of Silas Brown, who scored four runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4. Those four runs gave Brown a new career-high. Tristan Randolph was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
L.E.A.D. Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .440. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Laurel Hill and Bethlehem had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Hoboes fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 9-8 on Monday. Hoboes fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Wildcats since on Monday.
Like L.E.A.D. Academy, Laurel Hill also got a great game from a two-way player: Anthony Spera. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run but no hits. Those zero hits allowed gave Spera a new career-low. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
In other batting news, Weston Graves was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
L.E.A.D. Academy's record is now 6-4. As for Laurel Hill, their loss dropped their record down to 2-12.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. L.E.A.D. Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Laurel Hill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
L.E.A.D. Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Laurel Hill when the teams last played back in February, sneaking past 8-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
