The Cornerstone Christian Crusaders will square off against the Bethel Christian Kings at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Cornerstone Christian has given up an average of 12.8 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cornerstone Christian fell victim to Southlands Christian and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They came up short against the Eagles, falling 12-0. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Crusaders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, Bethel Christian came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Bears as they made off with a 14-3 win. Considering the Kings have won six contests by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Finlee Milhouse made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jada Aldridge, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Solice Carrillo was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Bethel Christian pushed their record up to 7-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Cornerstone Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cornerstone Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bethel Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cornerstone Christian suffered a grim 22-14 defeat to Bethel Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
