The GRACE Christian Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. GRACE Christian knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past six games -- so hopefully Harrells Christian Academy likes a good challenge.
GRACE Christian's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Fayetteville Christian as they made off with a 22-0 victory. That looming 22-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Eagles yet this season.
Addison Vercellino was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lydia Lester, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Caroline Gausman was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
GRACE Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .868. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Harrells Christian Academy came up short against Rocky Mount Academy on Wednesday, falling 8-1. The Crusaders haven't had much luck with the Eagles recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Harrells Christian Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Makenzie Jackson, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Harrells Christian Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for GRACE Christian, their record now sits at 7-2.
GRACE Christian's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Eagles have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Harrells Christian Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 0.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will GRACE Christian continue to outrun the ball?
GRACE Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Harrells Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in March, winning 8-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
