The St. Joseph Academy Flashes will face off against the Oakleaf Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (St. Joseph Academy has six straight wins, Oakleaf has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
St. Joseph Academy had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Palatka on Tuesday. The Flashes were the clear victors by a 12-6 margin over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Flashes, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Garrison Wade made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, St. Joseph Academy got a big performance out of Cullen Garner, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Garner has posted since back in February. Bodie Fidgeon was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Oakleaf didn't have quite enough to beat Bishop Kenny on Tuesday and fell 3-1.
Elijah Brown was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run was his first of the season.
St. Joseph Academy's victory bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Oakleaf, their loss dropped their record down to 5-12.
Oakleaf's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: St. Joseph Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. It's a different story for Oakleaf, though, as they've only averaged .360. Will they be able to contain St. Joseph Academy's hitters?
St. Joseph Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Oakleaf in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Flashes repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
