The Saint John Paul the Great Catholic Wolves will take on the Trinity Christian Gryphons at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Last Wednesday, Saint John Paul the Great Catholic got the win against Northstar Christian Academy by a conclusive 10-1.
Levi Reale
| 04/05/25 @ Paul VI | 8 |
| 03/12/25 vs Bishop Ireton | 4 |
| 04/09/25 @ Fredericksburg Christian | 2 |
| 03/22/25 @ South County | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Flint Hill | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Levi Reale spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 11 Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Saint John Paul the Great Catholic is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-8 otherwise.
At the plate, Saint John Paul the Great Catholic let James Fuller and James Genovese run wild. Fuller went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Genovese went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Genovese is becoming a predictor of Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-9 when he doesn't). Liam Kennedy was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Trinity Christian). They were the clear victors by a 23-1 margin over Quantico on Thursday. The win was familiar territory for the Gryphons, who have now won three matches in a row.
Graham Stephenson and Grady Frank made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Stephenson struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Frank struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Those six strikeouts gave Stephenson a new career-high. At bat, Stephenson went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Frank got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. Those stolen bases were Stephenson's first of the season.
In other batting news, Ryan Gardner was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ethan Tiede, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and four runs.
Trinity Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .435. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Trinity Christian pushed their record up to 10-5 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Saint John Paul the Great Catholic, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-9 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Saint John Paul the Great Catholic has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Trinity Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
