The Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders will head out on the road to challenge the Faith Christian Patriots at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Harrells Christian Academy took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Rocky Mount Academy, sneaking past 6-4. The victory was some much needed relief for the Crusaders as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Drake Smith was excellent, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Dawson Smith, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Faith Christian had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Spartans 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Patriots have posted since April 23, 2024.
The team relied heavily on Tanner Trevathan, who scored a run while going 4-for-4. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Michael Tyler also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Faith Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive games.
Faith Christian's record is now 7-2. As for Harrells Christian Academy, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Harrells Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Faith Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Harrells Christian Academy came up short against Faith Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 3-0. Can Harrells Christian Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
