Baseball Game Preview: Bradford Owls vs. Elk County Catholic Crusaders

Bradford hasn't had much luck against Elk County Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Owls will be playing in front of their home fans against the Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. Bradford's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Elk County Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

On Thursday, Bradford didn't have quite enough to beat Portville and fell 7-6. The Owls have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Tarren Reese put in work while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Reese was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season.

Reese wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Talan Reese, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Evan Whitmore was another, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, Elk County Catholic came up short against Clarion Area on Tuesday, falling 11-1. The Crusaders haven't had much luck with the Bobcats recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Bradford now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Elk County Catholic, they now also have a losing record of 2-3.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bradford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Elk County Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Bradford couldn't quite get it done against Elk County Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Will the Owls have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.