Crusaders
| 04/10/25 vs Asheville T | 5 |
| 04/08/25 vs Victory Christian | 5 |
| 04/08/25 vs Haywood Christian Academy | 12 |
| 04/03/25 @ Asheville School (Independent) | 7 |
| 03/31/25 @ Victory Christian | 3 |
| + 7 more games |
The Bethel Christian Academy Crusaders will challenge The Master's Academy Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Bethel Christian Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Bethel Christian Academy came up short against Asheville T and fell 10-5. The Crusaders have struggled against the Trailblazers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Dylan Smith put in work while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Josh Silver made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, The Master's Academy won against Christian Family Academy last Tuesday with 13 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Lions were the clear victors by a 13-5 margin over Lake Lure Classical Academy. The Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by six runs or more this season.
Like Bethel Christian Academy, The Master's Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Sawyer Waugh. On the mound, Waugh kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Bear LaSelle pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. At the plate, Waugh went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI, while LaSelle went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
In other batting news, Noah Lail was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Liam Copley, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
The victory was the third in a row for The Master's Academy, bringing their record up to 7-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Bethel Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bethel Christian Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like The Master's Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .466. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bethel Christian Academy suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to The Master's Academy in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
