Baseball Game Preview: John Bapst Memorial Crusaders vs. Belfast Lions

John Bapst Memorial hasn't had much luck against Belfast recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Crusaders will head out to square off against the Lions at 4:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

John Bapst Memorial blew Waterville out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Tuesday Waterville got their revenge. The Crusaders fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 6-4. The Crusaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Aiden Ouellette put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.

In other batting news, Abe Pendergast was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Sam Churchard was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Belfast was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 1-0 heartbreaker at the hands of Erskine Academy. The matchup marked the first time this year in which the Lions were not able to get on the board.

Belfast saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Luke Littlefield, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases.

John Bapst Memorial's record is now 3-9. As for Belfast, their record now sits at 9-4.

John Bapst Memorial couldn't quite finish off Belfast in their previous meeting two weeks ago and fell 5-3. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.