The Archbishop Murphy Wildcats will square off against the Shorewood Stormrays at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Archbishop Murphy made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Meadowdale, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Wildcats were the clear victors by a 17-7 margin over the Mavericks on Friday. While the Wildcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 3-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
The team relied heavily on Sarah Fletcher, who fired off three home runs, five runs, and five RBI while going 5-for-6. The team also got some help courtesy of Markella Vick, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.
Archbishop Murphy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .542. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Shorewood made sure to put some runs up on the board against Lynnwood on Friday. The Stormrays put the hurt on the Royals with a sharp 13-1 win. With that victory, the Stormrays brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Emma Kellum and Emily Scott were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Kellum pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Scott tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Kellum scored a run while going 1-for-3, while Scott scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Alyssa Carver was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Charlotte Copacino, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Archbishop Murphy is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Shorewood, their victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 7-4.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Archbishop Murphy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .466. However, it's not like Shorewood struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Archbishop Murphy skirted past Shorewood 4-2 in their previous matchup last Wednesday. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Stormrays turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
