Baseball Game Preview: McCluer Comets vs. St. Dominic Crusaders

The McCluer Comets will square off against the St. Dominic Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. McCluer has given up an average of 8.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

McCluer lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Hazelwood East, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Wednesday's matchup. The Comets put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 20-12 win on Wednesday. The Comets' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Eric Lorenz

Hits (Career)

05/14/25 vs Hazelwood East	2
05/09/25 vs University City	1
04/28/25 @ STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley	1
04/17/25 @ Hazelwood East	1
04/14/25 vs Gateway Tech	1

McCluer let Eric Lorenz and Mason Boyce run wild. Lorenz went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Boyce went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two hits gave Lorenz a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Colt Gates, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.

McCluer always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .650. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, St. Dominic faced Fort Zumwalt West in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Crusaders took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Jaguars. The game marked the first time this season in which the Crusaders were not able to get on the board.

St. Dominic also got a good showing from Alex Alsop, who pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Alsop has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.

McCluer's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs over those games. As for St. Dominic, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 20-9-1.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. McCluer has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 10 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. Dominic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.