Clay is 1-7 against Trinity Christian Academy since February of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Clay Blue Devils will be staying on the road to face off against the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors at 7:00 p.m. Both teams have allowed few runs on average, (Clay: 3.3, Trinity Christian Academy: 1.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Clay gave up the first runs last Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They won by a run and slipped past Mosley 3-2.
Preston Andrews made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (he also only allowed one walk). Andrews has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Andrews was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cole Carnell, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Trinity Christian Academy came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.1 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Sharks by a score of 6-2. That's two games straight that Trinity Christian Academy has won by exactly four runs.
Like Clay, Trinity Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Brayden Harris. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Harris was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other pitching news, Braden Hansen looked comfortable as he tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, Aiden Arnett and Maddox Lee did most of the damage at the plate: Arnett scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Lee scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Ethan Wheeler, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Clay's record now sits at 6-3. As for Trinity Christian Academy, their victory was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Clay has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Trinity Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.5 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Clay came up short against Trinity Christian Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2023, falling 5-0. Can Clay avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
