Fresh off a doubleheader sweep of Caverna over the weekend, the Heritage Christian Academy baseball squad cruised past Christian Fellowship Academy, 14-2, on Tuesday, securing the Warriors their first three-game winning streak since the opening week of the 2022 season.
Jayden Nichols did a little bit of everything in the run-shortened affair. The junior struck out nine and allowed just one hit in the four-inning effort. Nichols also had a pair of hits, including an RBI triple, to help spark an 11-run third inning that put HCA in complete control on its home field.
The Warriors managed to score a trio of two-out runs in the first inning, taking advantage of four walks and a pair of Eagle errors to jump ahead 3-0 early. After a scoreless second inning on both sides, Heritage poured it on in the third. A slew of walks and errors by Christian Fellowship set the table; Bradley Boyd and Caden Gresham later took full advantage with consecutive doubles that put HCA up 11-0. That duo combined to go 3-for-5 with five runs and two RBI.
Collin Outland, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, made it 12-0 with a run-scoring single. That was immediately followed by Nichols’ aforementioned RBI triple — an 0-1 line drive that plated courtesy runner Aaron Hensley.
Jerry Spurling capped the Warrior scoring by drawing a two-out, bases-loaded walk to make it 14-0. The Eagles, now winless in six games in 2024, finally got on the board when Landon Harshman registered an RBI groundout and Austin Cary walked and stole home, pulling CFA within 14-2 of the Warriors. Nichols finished the night with back-to-back strikeouts, though, ending the game via mercy rule.
Nichols (1-0) earned his first win of the season with the complete game. He walked three and gave up the two runs. Issac Choate (0-3) issued eight walks, gave up four hits and was responsible for 11 runs (seven earned) during his 2 1/3-inning start. The Eagles committed six errors.
Cadyn Travis (1-for-3, run, RBI, two stolen bases) and Tycen Wells (1-for-1, run, two walks) also turned in quality offensive performances for HCA. Six different players had hits and eight players had at least one run scored.
The Warriors (5-11) will now prepare for an 8th District doubleheader, beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at Hopkinsville. The Tigers (14-2) have won eight straight games overall and are ranked No. 23 in the state by Prep Baseball Report.
