Softball Game Preview: John Carroll Patriots vs. Mercy Magic

The John Carroll Patriots will venture away from home to challenge the Mercy Magic at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (John Carroll has three straight wins, Mercy has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

John Carroll is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 13-9 victory over Maryvale Prep on Friday.

Emily Hildt

Hits Against

03/21/25 vs Maryvale Prep	2
03/19/25 vs Perryville	2
03/17/25 vs C. Milton Wright	1
03/12/25 @ North County	1

Emily Hildt and Savannah Claycomb made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Hildt tossed two innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Meanwhile, Claycomb tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off nine hits. Hildt has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits any time she's pitched this season. At the plate, Hildt scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Claycomb scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.

In other batting news, Kallissa Coats was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-3. Those home runs marked the first that she launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Pindell, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2.

John Carroll was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .393 or higher in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Mercy came up short against Perry Hall on Wednesday and fell 5-1.

John Carroll pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Mercy, their loss dropped their record down to 0-1.

Everything went John Carroll's way against Mercy in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, as John Carroll made off with a 14-4 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for John Carroll since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.