King's Academy has gone 9-1 against Cardinal Newman recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Lions will host the Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. King's Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.9 runs per game this season.
King's Academy took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They never let Somerset Academy - Canyons get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Lions considering their two-run performance the game before.
Caroline Duncan
| 04/01/25 vs Somerset Academy - Canyons | 12 |
| 03/20/25 @ Dr. Joaquin Garcia | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Forest Hill | 11 |
| 03/15/25 vs Academy for Innovative Education | 3 |
| 03/15/25 @ Lourdes Academy | 2 |
| + 9 more games |
The result came thanks to Caroline Duncan's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 12 Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.4 strikeouts per game.
On the hitting side, Gracyn Needle was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Hailey Adkins was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
King's Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Newman was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their seventh straight loss. They came up short against Palm Beach Central, falling 17-6. That's two games in a row now that the Crusaders have lost by exactly 11 runs.
Sydney Mahoney made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Karis Taleff, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
King's Academy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 11.8 runs. As for Cardinal Newman, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-11.
Cardinal Newman's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: King's Academy has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Cardinal Newman, though, as they've been averaging 10.4 hits. Given King's Academy's sizable advantage in that area, the Crusaders will need to find a way to close that gap. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
