Softball Preview: Bishop O'Connell Knights vs. St. John's Cadets
Bishop O'Connell is 9-1 against St. John since March of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Bishop O'Connell Knights will head out on the road to square off against the St. John's Cadets at 4:00 p.m. Bishop O'Connell will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Tuesday, Bishop O'Connell faced Paul VI in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Bishop O'Connell's pitcher stepped up to hand Paul VI a 10-0 shutout. Bishop O'Connell's pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three matchups.
Sofia Anderson was a standout: she scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last five games she's played. Sophia Taliaferro was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, St. John's scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past The Academy of the Holy Cross 25-0. St. John's might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won four games by 11 runs or more this season.
Laureen Willenbucher: and Charlotte Lacey made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Willenbucher: pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Lacey tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Willenbucher: scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances, while Lacey scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, St. John's let Devyn Johnson and Yasmine Burrell loose on the outfield. Johnson fired off two home runs and eight RBI while going 4-for-6, while Burrell scored four runs and stole six bases while going 4-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Cameran Corbett, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances.
Bishop O'Connell's victory was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 12.3 runs. As for St. John's, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Friday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Bishop O'Connell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .489. However, it's not like St. John's struggles in that department as they've averaged .404. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Bishop O'Connell's way against St. John's in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 as Bishop O'Connell made off with a 13-4 victory. Does Bishop O'Connell have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. John's turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
