St. David hasn't had much luck against Wake Christian Academy recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Warriors will head out to square off against the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While St. David's win against GRACE Christian wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Warriors had just enough and edged out the Eagles 6-5 on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Warriors.
Smith Goracke made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched. Goracke was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Evan Thompson, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2. Ayden VanNess also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
St. David's was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Wake Christian Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top against Cary Christian by a score of 9-6 on Thursday.
Gavin Pacileo tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Carter Collins was incredible, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Jeffrey Newsome was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Wake Christian Academy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for St. David's, their record is now 5-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. David's has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wake Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. David's might still be hurting after the 21-6 defeat they got from Wake Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
