vs
| 05/06/24 - Home | 4-1 W |
| 05/02/24 - Away | 20-0 W |
| 04/26/23 - Home | 4-1 W |
| 04/19/23 - Away | 15-0 W |
| 04/19/23 - Away | 10-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Iona Prep is a perfect 10-0 against Cardinal Hayes since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Gaels will venture away from home to challenge the Cardinals at 4:15 p.m. Iona Prep's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Cardinal Hayes' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While Iona Prep's victory against Mt. St. Michael Academy wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Gaels had just enough and edged out the Mountaineers 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Gaels have posted since March 19th.
Mt. St. Michael Academy's batters probably weren't too happy with Shane Jelenevsky, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 16 Ks (he gave up a single walk). Jelenevsky has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Devin Diaz, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Sean Concannon, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cardinal Hayes). They blew past Monsignor Scanlan 7-1 on Monday.
Chris Valdez was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Alex Cepeda also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Iona Prep's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 8-4-1. As for Cardinal Hayes, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-8.
Cardinal Hayes' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Iona Prep hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. It's a different story for Cardinal Hayes, though, as they've only averaged .177. Will they be able to contain Iona Prep's hitters?
Iona Prep was able to grind out a solid victory over Cardinal Hayes in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Gaels since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
