Durham Academy hasn't had much luck against GRACE Christian recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Cavaliers will look to defend their home field against the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. Durham Academy has given up an average of 12.8 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Durham Academy lost 22-2 to North Raleigh Christian Academy on Tuesday.
Durham Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Meera Gupta, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, GRACE Christian came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 16-2 victory. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by ten runs or more this season.
Audrey Lester made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
In other batting news, GRACE Christian got a big performance out of Addison Vercellino, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Vercellino is also on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Ellie McDowell, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
GRACE Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .708. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .370 or higher in eight consecutive games.
GRACE Christian pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Durham Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Durham Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 11.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like GRACE Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Durham Academy might still be hurting after the 28-13 defeat they got from GRACE Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Cavaliers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
