The Temple Christian Crusaders will face off against the Timberlake Christian Tornadoes at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Temple Christian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 14 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Christian Heritage Academy on Thursday. They lost 11-1 to the Knights.
Temple Christian saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jace Reno, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Meanwhile, Timberlake Christian was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Roanoke Valley Christian, falling 14-3. Surprisingly, this marked the fifth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Billy Shumaker was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and six unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time he's pitched this season. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Timberlake Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Temple Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Temple Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Timberlake Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 12.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Temple Christian took their victory against Timberlake Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 7-1. Will Temple Christian repeat their success, or does Timberlake Christian has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
