The American Leadership Academy-Johnston Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Eastern Wayne Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. American Leadership Academy-Johnston is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
American Leadership Academy-Johnston is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 17 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against East Wake Academy on Wednesday. They lost 9-2 to the Eagles. The Patriots' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
American Leadership Academy-Johnston saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addison Cooke, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Eastern Wayne waltzed into their game on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They never let the Bruins get on the board and left with a 5-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Mallory Reed's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 20 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Hannah Lee was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-4. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Aaliyah Sembly, who scored a run and stole two bases.
Eastern Wayne pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for American Leadership Academy-Johnston, their loss dropped their record down to 6-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. American Leadership Academy-Johnston has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eastern Wayne struggles in that department as they've been averaging 19 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
American Leadership Academy-Johnston skirted past Eastern Wayne 2-1 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
