Powell has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Grace Christian Academy Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Powell: 2.9, Grace Christian Academy: 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Wednesday, Powell was able to grind out a solid victory over Knoxville Central, taking the game 7-3. That's two games straight that Powell has won by exactly four runs.
Kayleigh Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Leslie Hensley was incredible, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and a stolen base. Gabby Kraatz was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian Academy might've scored the first runs on Thursday, but it was Lakeway Christian Academy who claimed the real prize. Grace Christian Academy took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of Lakeway Christian Academy. Grace Christian Academy has struggled against Lakeway Christian Academy recently, as their match on Thursday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Grace Christian Academy saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Katherine Mullins, who went 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Powell's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-8-2. As for Grace Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 15-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Powell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Grace Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Powell's way against Grace Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 as Powell made off with an 11-4 victory. Will Powell repeat their success, or does Grace Christian Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
