The Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy Eagles will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the Sarasota Christian Blazers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Last Tuesday, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy beat Babcock 9-5.
Christian Castanio was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off 12 hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent : he hasn't given up a single walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Andrew Cordani was a standout: he scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Tyler LaPlaca was another key player, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 3-for-5.
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .568. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Sarasota Christian came up short against Southwest Florida Christian on Tuesday, falling 9-3. The Blazers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Sarasota Christian saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Randall Collins, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing ten hits in those games compared to only five in the others. As for Sarasota Christian, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 9-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Sarasota Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Sarasota Christian in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
