The Suffolk Christian Academy Knights have faced some tough competition in a tournament in Norfolk, but they hope the competition will benefit them in the long run.

The Knights baseball team has faced some out-of-state teams in a baseball tournament held at Lakewood Park in Norfolk. They went 1-2, with the most recent game coming against Cherry Hill West High School in New Jersey Wednesday afternoon.

They took a 12-1 loss. The game started out a bit even in the first inning, with SCA being down only 3-1. However, over the next four innings, Cherry Hill ran off with 11 runs, ending the game in five innings. SCA had three total hits as a team.

“These last couple of games have been a bit different for us,” Coach Ed Feeney said. “We have been facing some pitchers that regularly throw more than 80 miles an hour, and that’s been different for us. We have seen some very good teams in this tournament, and you’re not going to get better unless you play better teams.”

Up to this point in the season, Feeney has been happy with the team’s progression. They’ve dominated some games as well as had some close wins. SCA appreciates the close wins more, because they believe they see how they compete against better teams.

With about 10 games left in the season, SCA feels they are right where they need to be.

“I want to know that we can hit better pitching and that we can field a team that will be solid defensively,” Feeney said. “Overall we are about where we want to be. We are excited about what we can do to finish the season.”

Alex Feeney has had a strong season up to this point for the Knights. In a tournament game Tuesday, Feeney hit a home run and was a lone bright spot in a game in which the Knights only scored one run. George Rennie has also played well both offensively and defensively. Going forward, the Knights believe if they can continue to improve their pitching, they can do some good things. Getting consistent production from the pitching group as a whole will be key going forward.