The Lake Worth Christian Defenders will square off against the Highlands Christian Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lake Worth Christian made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Lake Worth, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Everything went Lake Worth Christian's way against Lake Worth on Tuesday as Lake Worth Christian made off with a 17-7 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Defenders as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Bryce VandenBerg
| 03/11/25 vs Lake Worth | 6 |
| 02/10/25 vs Sports Leadership & Management | 4 |
| 03/06/25 @ Santaluces | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Westwood | 1 |
Bryce VandenBerg was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and one triple. Lake Worth Christian is undefeated when VandenBerg posts two or more runs, but 1-6 otherwise.
In other batting news, Gavin Farnen was excellent, scoring three runs. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Mia Kruspe, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Lake Worth Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Highlands Christian never let their opponents score on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 10-0 margin over Miami Country Day. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Knights.
Steven Perals made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. Perals was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sage Chartier, who scored two runs and stole Five bases. while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiah Tullier, who scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 1-for-2.
Lake Worth Christian's win bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Highlands Christian, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lake Worth Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Highlands Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lake Worth Christian might still be hurting after the 15-1 defeat they got from Highlands Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2020. Can Lake Worth Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
