The Grace Christian Crusaders will head out to face off against the Freedom Christian Academy Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are still undefeated (Grace Christian has three wins , while Freedom Christian Academy has 31 dating back to last season).
Grace Christian's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on North Raleigh Christian Academy with a sharp 15-0 win. Fans of the Crusaders have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Hayley Pugh
| 03/07/25 vs North Raleigh Christian Academy | 2 |
| 03/06/25 @ Harrells Christian Academy | 1 |
| 05/10/24 vs Concord Academy | 1 |
| 05/03/24 @ American Leadership Academy-Johnston | 1 |
| 03/14/24 vs American Leadership Academy-Johnston | 1 |
Hayley Pugh made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two).
In other batting news, Victoria Thomas was incredible, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 2-for-2. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Aubrey Gunter, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Grace Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .680. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .545 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Freedom Christian Academy's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's sixth consecutive shutout on Tuesday. They blew past Fayetteville Christian 20-0. That looming 20-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Patriots yet this season.
Melanie Multerer was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. London Chavis also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Freedom Christian Academy pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 12.4 runs. As for Grace Christian, their record is now 3-0.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Grace Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .593. However, it's not like Freedom Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .538. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Grace Christian might still be hurting after the 7-1 defeat they got from Freedom Christian Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can Grace Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
