The Maranatha Christian Academy Eagles will face off against the Christ Prep Academy Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Maranatha Christian Academy is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Monday. They lost 25-10 to Barstow.
Owen Smail was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Cronin, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, while Christ Prep Academy put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Lathrop. The Patriots were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Mules. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Aidan Kent was a major factor no matter where he played. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. He also allowed no hits, which is notable because Christ Prep Academy is 3-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 4-5 otherwise. Kent was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Will Hink and Luke Neland did most of the damage at the plate: Hink went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base, while Neland scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. Those three RBI gave Hink a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Cade Elder, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-5.
Christ Prep Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Christ Prep Academy now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Maranatha Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 1-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Maranatha Christian Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Christ Prep Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Maranatha Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Christ Prep Academy when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
