The Fullington Academy Trojans will face off against the Grace Christian Academy Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Fullington Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Byne Christian with a sharp 21-6 victory on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Trojans as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Cutter Tharpe
| 04/08/25 vs Byne Christian | 3 |
| 03/25/25 vs Westwood | 1 |
| 03/18/25 @ Crisp Academy | 1 |
| 03/07/25 @ Rock Springs Christian Academy | 1 |
Cutter Tharpe was incredible, going a perfect 5-for-5 with four stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Clay Sangster, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Fullington Academy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian Academy entered their tilt with Crisp Academy on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Wildcats. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won six matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Daniel Johnson and Jacob Elkins made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Johnson tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Elkins pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Johnson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Johnson scored a run and stole three bases while going 1-for-2, while Elkins scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Noah Smith, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-4. He has become a key player for Grace Christian Academy: the team is 7-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Landon Temples was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Grace Christian Academy pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Fullington Academy, the victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 2-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fullington Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grace Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Fullington Academy took their win against Grace Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 9-3 score. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
