Wake Forest hasn't had much luck against Cardinal Gibbons recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cougars will face off against the Crusaders. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Wake Forest 3.2, Cardinal Gibbons 2.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Wake Forest is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Holly Springs by a score of 9-5.
Jackson Hardy
| 05/06/25 vs Holly Springs | 6 |
| 03/25/25 @ Wakefield | 5 |
| 03/06/25 vs Chapel Hill | 5 |
| 04/21/25 vs Millbrook | 4 |
| 04/14/25 @ Rolesville | 4 |
Wake Forest got a great performance from Jackson Hardy as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off three hits. Those six strikeouts gave Hardy a new career-high.
At the plate, Wake Forest let Joseph Hlavacek and Antonio Parrino run wild. Hlavacek went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Parrino went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Parrino has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Carlos Diaz, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Gibbons came tearing into Tuesday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Bears a 10-0 shutout. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matches by six runs or more this season.
Andrew Riedel was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple. Bryce Fitzsimmons was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Cardinal Gibbons hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive contests.
Wake Forest has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Cardinal Gibbons, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-6.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wake Forest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Cardinal Gibbons struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
