The Grace Christian Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Combine Academy National Goats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Grace Christian has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Tuesday, Grace Christian sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over Cary Christian.
Luke Roupe
| 04/08/25 vs Cary Christian | 2 |
| 04/05/25 @ East Wake Academy | 0 |
| 03/29/25 vs High Point Christian Academy | 1 |
Luke Roupe spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 15 Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jimmy Alfonsin, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Alex Pena Jimenez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Five must be Combine Academy National's lucky number: they beat Charlotte S with that score not once but twice last Tuesday. The Goats beat the Stampede by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-3. The win was familiar territory for the Goats, who have now won three matchups in a row.
Combine Academy National's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Grace Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season.
Grace Christian skirted past Combine Academy National 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
