The Sarasota Christian Blazers will take on the Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing isn't great for Sarasota Christian: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.
Sarasota Christian lost 9-3 to Southwest Florida Christian on Tuesday.
Sarasota Christian saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Randall Collins, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Babcock on Tuesday, taking the game 9-5.
Christian Castanio was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off 12 hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Andrew Cordani was a standout: he scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Tyler LaPlaca, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 3-for-5.
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .568. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Sarasota Christian's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 9-5. As for Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sarasota Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sarasota Christian took their victory against Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2. Does Sarasota Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
