Harrells Christian Academy and Wilmington Christian Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2015, but likely not for long. The Crusaders will be playing at home against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Harrells Christian Academy will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
On Tuesday, Harrells Christian Academy got the win against Halifax Academy by a conclusive 9-3. The victory continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now won four in a row.
Jesse Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs.
Dawson Smith
| 04/10/25 @ Epiphany | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Halifax Academy | 2 |
| 04/22/25 @ Clinton | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Kerr-Vance Academy | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Rocky Mount Academy | 2 |
| + 6 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dawson Smith, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Harrells Christian Academy is 4-1 when Smith posts two or more runs, but 2-10 otherwise. Coley Sasser was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Wilmington Christian Academy came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Faith Christian 13-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Wilmington Christian Academy has posted since April 3rd.
Wilmington Christian Academy's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-13. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Harrells Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 6-11.
Harrells Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Wilmington Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
