The Freedom Patriots will face off against the Orangewood Christian Rams at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
If Freedom beats Orangewood Christian with three runs on Monday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Patriots sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 win over Tohopekaliga on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Patriots.
John Paul Rodriguez Torres
| 03/27/26 vs Tohopekaliga | 4 |
| 03/24/26 vs Dr. Phillips | 1 |
| 03/10/26 @ West Orange | 0 |
| 02/25/26 @ Timber Creek | 3 |
| 02/18/26 vs Ocoee | 6 |
John Paul Rodriguez Torres looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February.
On the hitting side, Freedom's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Blake Echols, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Meanwhile, Orangewood Christian made easy work of Edgewater on Friday and carried off a 13-1 win. Considering the Rams have won eight matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Max Sakala made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aiden Balls, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Austin Wendorf, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and two RBI.
Orangewood Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Edgewater only posted an OBP of .263.
Freedom's victory bumped their record up to 10-5. As for Orangewood Christian, their win bumped their record up to 17-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Freedom has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Orangewood Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Freedom skirted past Orangewood Christian 4-3 in their previous meeting back in February of 2025. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
