Catholic Central and Madonna are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Crusaders will host the Blue Dons at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Catholic Central has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Friday, Catholic Central came up short against Cameron and fell 12-7. The Crusaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Michael DiCarlo
| 04/11/25 vs Cameron | 1 |
| 04/01/25 @ Weir | 1 |
| 03/29/25 @ Tuscarawas Central Catholic | 1 |
Michael DiCarlo was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and one RBI.
In other batting news, Michael Fabbro was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. That stolen base marked the first that he snagged this season.
Meanwhile, Madonna had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They never let the Crusaders get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The Blue Dons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Koleton Grishkevich, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacob Lazear, who scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Madonna pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Catholic Central, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Catholic Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Madonna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Catholic Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Madonna in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, sneaking past 9-7. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Dons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
