Grove City Christian hasn't had much luck against Berne Union recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Eagles are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will challenge the Rockets at 5:15 p.m.
Grove City Christian easily dispatched Fairfield Christian Academy on Wednesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Eagles fell just short of Westfall by a score of 7-5 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Eagles have suffered since April 29, 2024.
Meanwhile, Berne Union entered their tilt with Liberty Christian Academy on Tuesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 23-0 victory. The Rockets' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Reese Besco made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aleah Smiley, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cloe Hatzer, who scored three runs while going 3-for-4.
Berne Union hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Liberty Christian Academy struck out seven times.
Berne Union's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 19.8 runs over those games. As for Grove City Christian, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
Everything went Grove City Christian's way against Berne Union when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Grove City Christian made off with a 22-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
