Jackson Academy is 1-9 against Jackson Prep since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Raiders will look to defend their home field against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Jackson Academy's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Jackson Prep's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Jackson Academy is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 13 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against St. Joseph Catholic on Thursday. They fell 5-2 to the Bruins.
Deuce Jenkins was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Justin Word led a balanced group of hitters, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Landyn Baker was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Jackson Prep faced Presbyterian Christian in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Patriots were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Bobcats. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by six runs or more this season.
Like Jackson Academy, Jackson Prep also got a great game from a two-way player: Russell Robbins. He pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Robbins also tossed a walk, which is notable because Jackson Prep is 8-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 9-11-1 otherwise. Robbins was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Matthew McKinley, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Powell, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Jackson Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Jackson Academy's loss dropped their record down to 17-10. As for Jackson Prep, the win snapped their losing streak at five games and leaves them with a 17-12-1 record.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Jackson Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Jackson Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
