The Langtree Charter Academy Lions will head out on the road to take on the Elkin Buckin' Elks at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Langtree Charter Academy is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
If Langtree Charter Academy beats Elkin with ten runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Langtree Charter Academy didn't even let Queen's Grant on the board on Tuesday, marking Langtree Charter Academy's second-straight 10-0 shutout. The Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Garrett Barbee and Paul Napoli made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Barbee didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Napoli tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Barbee gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March of 2024. At the plate, Barbee scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Napoli got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI. Barbee also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Mark Pouthier, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI. Aiden Gelpke was another, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Langtree Charter Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Queen's Grant only posted an OBP of .278.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 14 runs the game before, Elkin was a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They fell just short of North Stokes by a score of 3-2. The Buckin' Elks haven't had much luck with the Vikings recently, as the team has come up short the last nine times they've met.
Langtree Charter Academy's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 11.3 runs. As for Elkin, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.
Elkin's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Langtree Charter Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .487. It's a different story for Elkin, though, as they've only averaged .262. Will they be able to contain Langtree Charter Academy's hitters?
Langtree Charter Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Elkin in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, winning 10-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for Langtree Charter Academy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
