Grace Christian has gone a perfect 3-0 against Hickory Grove Christian recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Crusaders will host the Lions at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Grace Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They never let Asheville Christian Academy get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Crusaders, who have now won five games in a row.
Caleb Ellis
| 05/10/25 vs Asheville Christian Academy | 7 |
| 05/01/25 @ North Raleigh Christian Academy | 6 |
| 04/26/25 @ Combine Academy National | 8 |
| 04/15/25 @ First Colonial | 7 |
Caleb Ellis made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jimmy Alfonsin, who went 2-for-3 with one home run. Reggie Marshall was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Grace Christian lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Hickory Grove Christian duked it out with Calvary Day School on Saturday. The Lions put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 7-0 win. That's two games straight that the Lions have won by exactly seven runs.
Brady Johnson looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Von Pelow and Zach White did most of the damage at the plate: Pelow went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI, while White went a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits White has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Zach Frost, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Hickory Grove Christian pushed their record up to 12-12 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Grace Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 20-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Grace Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hickory Grove Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Grace Christian skirted past Hickory Grove Christian 7-5 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
