The Sandalwood Saints will face off against the University Christian Christians at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Sandalwood 2.7, University Christian 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Sandalwood fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against First Coast on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Buccaneers by a score of 2-1.
Sandalwood got a good showing from Bane Barker, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Barker has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sandalwood saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Preston Cox, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Meanwhile, University Christian scored the most runs they've had this season on Saturday, but it wasn't enough. They fell just short of Mount Dora Christian Academy by a score of 17-16. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Christians, who until this match were averaging 3.55 runs allowed.
Bo Wilson was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one triple. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Another player making a difference was Kaleb Hammond, who scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Sandalwood's defeat dropped their record down to 12-7. As for University Christian, they moved to 15-7 with that loss, which also ended their four-game winning streak.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sandalwood has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like University Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sandalwood skirted past University Christian 1-0 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Do the Saints have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Christians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
