The St. Joseph's Prep Hawks are taking a road trip to square off against the Archbishop Wood Vikings at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The last three games St. Joseph's Prep has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
St. Joseph's Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Cardinal O'Hara 5-4. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Lions recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Eddie Dingle looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, St. Joseph's Prep saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Robby Grasso, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Wood has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.17 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Saturday. They came up short against Central, falling 12-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Vikings have suffered since May 18, 2024.
Jimmy Casey was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Logan Madison also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Archbishop Wood's loss dropped their record down to 13-5. As for St. Joseph's Prep, the win got them back to even at 10-10.
St. Joseph's Prep's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's contest. The Hawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Archbishop Wood, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will St. Joseph's Prep continue to outrun the ball?
St. Joseph's Prep couldn't quite finish off Archbishop Wood in their previous matchup back in April and fell 6-4. Can the Hawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
