Baseball Game Preview: St. John Paul II Academy Eagles vs. Cardinal Newman Crusaders

For the second straight game, St. John Paul II Academy will face off against Cardinal Newman. The Eagles will be playing at home against the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (St. John Paul II Academy 3.5, Cardinal Newman 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.

St. John Paul II Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Cardinal Newman get on the board and left with a 1-0 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted against the Crusaders since March 16, 2023.

The result came thanks to Emmanuel Lantigua's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, St. John Paul II Academy's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Lincoln Dorland, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

St. John Paul II Academy has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-10-1 record this season. As for Cardinal Newman, their loss ended a 12-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 26-4-1.