The Grace Christian Crusaders will head out on the road to take on the Cary Christian Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Grace Christian is headed into the match fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Thales Academy Apex with a sharp 21-1 win on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Grace Christian considering their one-run performance the game before.
Connor Woods made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Woods was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two runs.
In other pitching news, Jaxon Wade looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Matt Murchison was incredible, scoring four runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Boaz Harper, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Cary Christian waltzed into their contest on Thursday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. They never let the Tigers onto the board and left with a 26-0 victory. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Cary Christian has managed all season.
Like Grace Christian, Cary Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Reed Harvey. On the mound, Harvey pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Samuel Snyder tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Harvey scored three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Snyder went 2-for-4 with six RBI, two runs, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, Jacob Reeves was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Jacob Cesarz was another key contributor, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.
Grace Christian's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6. As for Cary Christian, their record now sits at 15-2.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Grace Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. However, it's not like Cary Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .458. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Grace Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Cary Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Grace Christian since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
