Baseball Recap: Central Catholic Comes Up Short

Central Catholic had lost five straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 4-13 to make it six. They came up short against the Defiance Bulldogs, falling 8-0. The Fighting Irish were not able to make up for their loss to the Bulldogs from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.

Central Catholic got a good showing from Vinny Reamer, who tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.

As for Defiance, the victory keeps they at an undefeated 11-0. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 8.1 runs this season.

On Defiance's side, Garyson Smiddy tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Smiddy has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cody Shaw, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Logan Hutcheson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.

Looking ahead, Central Catholic will venture away from home to face off against St. Francis de Sales at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Defiance, they will host Elida at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Defiance 2.7, Elida 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.