The Seffner Christian Crusaders will square off against the Northside Christian Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Seffner Christian got the win against Carrollwood Day by a conclusive 8-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Crusaders have posted against the Patriots since March 31, 2015.
Allison Baston spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up 11 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tenley Newman, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Isabella Biase, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Northside Christian beat Saint Stephen's Episcopal 7-4 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Aviana Dunlap made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Dunlap was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
In other pitching news, FAITH ROBERTSON looked comfortable as she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Macy SMith was incredible, scoring three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Maiya Busch also deserves some recognition as she stole her first stolen base of the season.
Northside Christian's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Seffner Christian, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
Seffner Christian took their win against Northside Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-0. Will Seffner Christian repeat their success, or does Northside Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
