King will face off against King's Way Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
King's had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt Sultan on Wednesday. The Knights put the hurt on the Turks with a sharp 12-1 victory. The Knights' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jakob Fowler was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Fowler was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Titan Root looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Nate Echelbarger was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Brandon McCann was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
King's was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. The last time their batting average was this high was was before the start of last season.
Meanwhile, King's Way Christian entered their tilt with Stevenson on Thursday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 24-0 win. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Grady Schaller made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other pitching news, Cam Disbrow looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Sam Somarakis, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Tate Douglas also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
King's Way Christian pushed their record up to 12-3 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 14.7 runs over those games. As for King's, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-4.
