Athens Christian has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will square off against the Bethlehem Christian Academy Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Athens Christian's pitching crew has only allowed 2.1 runs per game this season, so Bethlehem Christian Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While Athens Christian didn't have the best season last year (they finished 2-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They never let The King's Academy onto the board and left with a 15-0 win on Saturday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by seven runs or more this season.
Ellianna Christian was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and a triple.
In other batting news, Harper Westbrook was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Claire Wood also deserves some recognition as she stolen her first stolen base of the season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Athens Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .708. The last time their OBP was this high was was before the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Bethlehem Christian Academy had just enough and edged Jackson County out 5-3 on Saturday.
Audryanna Torres spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Titan Sapp, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Summer Gravitt, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Athens Christian's record now sits at 6-1. As for Bethlehem Christian Academy, the victory also got them back to even at 4-4.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Athens Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Bethlehem Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Athens Christian might still be hurting after the 13-0 defeat they got from Bethlehem Christian Academy when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Can Athens Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
