Baseball Recap: Gloucester Catholic Finds Playoff Glory Versus Ranney

With a playoff win on the line, Gloucester Catholic rose to the challenge on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Ranney as they made off with a 12-3 win. The Rams have beaten Ranney the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest Ranney has come to flipping the script.

Jackson Smallets spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Gloucester Catholic got a massive performance out of Braeden Lipoff, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI Lipoff has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Jack Mustaro, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Gloucester Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.

Gloucester Catholic's record is now 22-3. As for Ranney, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-10 record this season.

Gloucester Catholic will host Bishop Eustace Prep at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Ranney does not have any more games scheduled as of now.