Softball Game Recap: Head-Royce Jayhawks vs. St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots

By Team Reports Mar 26, 2024, 7:47pm

Softball Recap: Head-Royce Jayhawks vs. St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots

Head-Royce was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell 9-4 to the St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots. Head-Royce was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as St. Joseph Notre Dame apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2023.

Juno Yu was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Yu was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.

Yu wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Elena Krauss, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.

Like Head-Royce, St. Joseph Notre Dame also got a great game from a two-way player: Cassandra Sanchez. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Sanchez has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. Sanchez was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, Lexi Roben was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Zora Oliverius, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.

Head-Royce has fallen quite a ways from their 14-4 record last season and are now at 1-5. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, the victory (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 6-1.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Head-Royce will play host again on Thursday to welcome San Domenico, where first pitch is scheduled at 4:00 p.m. San Domenico is coming into the contest with three straight defeats on the road, meaning Head-Royce will have to defend against a squad hungry for a win. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, they will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on California School for the Deaf at 4:00 p.m. on April 10th. California School for the Deaf knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with flashy run totals in its past four games -- so hopefully St. Joseph Notre Dame likes a good challenge.

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