Crusaders Face Tough Road Stretch
The Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders baseball team hit a rough patch last week, dropping three consecutive road games to fall to a tough 0-4 start on the young season. The Crusaders traveled to David Emanuel Academy, Thomas Jefferson Academy, and Mount de Sales, struggling to maintain early momentum across the grueling road stretch. vs. DEA
The week kicked off on Monday against the Eagles of David Emanuel Academy. RTCA came out strong, taking an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning sparked by an RBI single from Blake Durden. The Crusaders' pitching and defense held steady, keeping DEA completely scoreless through the first four innings. However, the Eagles' bats suddenly woke up in the fifth, plating seven runs to snatch a commanding 7-2 lead. DEA then tacked on five more runs in the sixth inning to run away with a 12-2 victory, as RTCA's offense went quiet after the opening frame. vs. TJ
On Wednesday, the Crusaders traveled to face the Jaguars of Thomas Jefferson Academy. The Jaguars struck early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning and adding three more in the third to build a comfortable 5-0 advantage. Thomas Jefferson plated another run in the fourth to push the score to 6-0 before RTCA finally broke through. The Crusaders managed to push across one run in the top of the fifth inning and added another in the sixth, but the late-game effort was not enough to overcome the early deficit in a 6-2 loss. vs. Mount de Sales
The challenging week concluded on Friday against the Cavaliers of Mount de Sales. It was all Cavaliers from the first pitch, as they jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Mount de Sales steadily built on their advantage, adding three runs in the second and one in the third to make it 7-0. A massive six-run burst by the Cavaliers in the fourth inning decisively closed out the game, handing the Crusaders a 13-0 shutout defeat.
RTCA is eager to turn things around and secure their first win of the year. A scheduled Monday rematch against DEA was postponed. The Crusaders hit the road again to face Edmund Burke on Tuesday, in a game completed after presstime. The team will finally return to their home field this Thursday to host Edmund Burke, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
