The Cornerstone Christian Crusaders will head out on the road to face off against the Calvary Baptist Cougars at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Cornerstone Christian has given up an average of 13.7 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cornerstone Christian came up short against Bethel Christian on Friday, falling 19-7. That's two games in a row now that the Crusaders have lost by exactly 12 runs.
Cornerstone Christian saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Natalie Alexander, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Alexander also brought in two RBI, marking her first of the season.
Meanwhile, Calvary Baptist was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 14-13 heartbreaker at the hands of Bethel Christian.
Reagan Hanson was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and 13 unearned) runs off five hits. Hanson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Bri Rosales and Isabella Macias did some serious damage despite the final result: Rosales scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances, while Macias scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Brianna Even, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Calvary Baptist's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 7-4. As for Cornerstone Christian, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-6.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cornerstone Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Calvary Baptist struggles in that department as they've averaged .379. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cornerstone Christian might still be hurting after the 23-0 loss they got from Calvary Baptist in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
