The Bethel Christian Kings are taking a road trip to square off against the Calvary Baptist Cougars at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bethel Christian has given up an average of 7.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Bethel Christian fell victim to Cornerstone Christian and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 20-0 to the Crusaders. The Kings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Bethel Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tony Whitehead, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Calvary Baptist entered their tilt with Bell Gardens on Friday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Lancers with a sharp 12-2 victory. That's two games straight that the Cougars have won by exactly ten runs.
R.J. Franco and Chris Bacarella made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Franco struck out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Bacarella pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Franco went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Bacarella went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Devin Debuono was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Zaedik Mcphail was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Calvary Baptist always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bell Gardens only posted an OBP of .320.
Calvary Baptist's win bumped their record up to 15-6. As for Bethel Christian, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bethel Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .510. However, it's not like Calvary Baptist struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bethel Christian might still be hurting after the 13-0 loss they got from Calvary Baptist when the teams last played on April 8th. Can the Kings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
