The Gilbert Christian Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Valley Christian Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Gilbert Christian: 2.1, Valley Christian: 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Gilbert Christian unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of Pusch Ridge Christian Academy by a score of 3-2. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, Gilbert Christian couldn't push the score so high this time.
Brody Aubut was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Gilbert Christian saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jeremy Kuiper, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian is still undefeated this season after their game against Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Saturday, but Pusch Ridge Christian Academy came as close as anyone has to beating them. Valley Christian sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. Despite the victory, that was the fewest runs Valley Christian has scored all year.
Kyle Grier looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Caleb Danzeisen, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Carson Grier, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Gilbert Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 13-3. As for Valley Christian, they pushed their record up to 16-0 with that win, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gilbert Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.3. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Gilbert Christian couldn't quite finish off Valley Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 and fell 7-5. Can Gilbert Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
