The Annapolis Area Christian Eagles will head out on the road to take on the DeMatha Stags at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Annapolis Area Christian barely beat St. John's Catholic Prep the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Annapolis Area Christian put the hurt on St. John's Catholic Prep with a sharp 8-1 win on Thursday. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Robert Ballagh
| 03/13/25 vs St. John's Catholic Prep | 9 |
| 05/04/24 @ Boys Latin | 2 |
| 04/30/24 vs Indian Creek | 2 |
| 04/18/24 @ McDonogh | 2 |
| 03/14/24 @ DeMatha | 2 |
Robert Ballagh was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Jacob Cresanto and Stanley Matthews did most of the damage at the plate: Cresanto scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Matthews scored three runs while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance gave Matthews a new career-high in hits. Another player making a difference was Roman Cobb, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, DeMatha put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Archbishop Carroll 13-2. Considering the Stags have won three games by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Grayson Candy looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brooks Franklin, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Johnathan Coombs was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases.
DeMatha hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive matchups.
Annapolis Area Christian now has a winning record of 2-1. As for DeMatha, their record now sits at 4-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Annapolis Area Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like DeMatha struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Annapolis Area Christian suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to DeMatha in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Annapolis Area Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
