Knights
| 05/01/25 vs Grace Christian | 0 |
| 04/29/25 vs Raleigh HomeSchool | 10 |
| 04/17/25 @ Cary Academy | 13 |
| 04/15/25 vs Cary Academy | 10 |
| 04/08/25 vs Durham Academy | 5 |
| + 16 more games |
The North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights will head out to square off against the Durham Academy Cavaliers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. North Raleigh Christian Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
North Raleigh Christian Academy's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Thursday's struggle, when Grace Christian hitters got past them. The Knights took an 11-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Crusaders on Thursday. The Knights' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
North Raleigh Christian Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Rowlands, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Durham Academy made sure to put some runs up on the board against Kerr-Vance Academy on Tuesday. The Cavaliers blew past the Spartans 13-3. The victory continues a trend for the Cavaliers in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won four in a row.
Maxwell Niedel spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Benjamin Kuo was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two doubles. Durham Academy is undefeated when Kuo posts three or more RBI, but 3-13 otherwise. Austin Gunsch was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Durham Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .484. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
North Raleigh Christian Academy's loss dropped their record down to 15-6. As for Durham Academy, their record is now 6-13.
Durham Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. North Raleigh Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Durham Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 3.5 strikeouts. Will North Raleigh Christian Academy keep running through batters, or will the Cavaliers buck the trend?
North Raleigh Christian Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Durham Academy in their previous matchup back in April, winning 5-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
