Baseball Game Preview: Xavier Knights vs. Cardinal Spellman Pilots

The Xavier Knights will head out on the road to square off against the Cardinal Spellman Pilots at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. Xavier's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Cardinal Spellman's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Xavier came into this matchup off a tough seven-run loss on Monday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Iona Prep by a score of 4-2 on Wednesday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 5, 2022, but that streak is no more.

Cardinal Spellman not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 1st (when they won 11-1). They blew past Monsignor Scanlan 7-1. The win continues a trend for the Pilots in their matchups with the Crusaders: they've now won three in a row.

Xavier's defeat dropped their record down to 8-7. As for Cardinal Spellman, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.

Xavier was able to grind out a solid win over Cardinal Spellman in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 9-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.