Baseball Game Preview: Cathedral Phantoms vs. St. Monica Mariners

The Cathedral Phantoms will challenge the St. Monica Mariners on Monday.

Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary hit Cathedral with a four-run seventh inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Phantoms fell 6-3 to the Cardinals.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for St. Monica, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They put the hurt on St. Bernard with a sharp 13-7 victory on Friday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Mariners needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.

Gabriel Campbell made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, St. Monica let Gabe Villegas and Liam Bernheimer run wild. Villegas went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double, while Bernheimer went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Bernheimer has posted since back in March. Cole Sordal was another key player, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.

St. Monica hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Bernard struck out six times.

St. Monica's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-12. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Cathedral, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost ten of their last 11 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-13 record this season.

Everything went Cathedral's way against St. Monica when the teams last played back in March, as Cathedral made off with a 7-1 win. Do the Phantoms have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mariners turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.