Softball Game Preview: Houston Christian Mustangs vs. St. John XXIII Lions

The Houston Christian Mustangs will face off against the St. John XXIII Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Tuesday just wasn't the day for Houston Christian's offense. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of St. Agnes Academy on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Mustangs in their meetings with the Tigers: they've now lost seven in a row.

Houston Christian saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Estrada, who went 1-for-2 with one double. That double marked the first that Estrada hit this season.

St. John XXIII never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Lanier last Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over the Voks. The Lions not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since March 19, 2024.

Alexa Ramirez was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the first time she hasn't allowed a single hit since back in February of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.

In other batting news, Emma Morrison was a standout: she scored three runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Grace Miles, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-2.

St. John XXIII always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .607. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lanier only posted an OBP of .333.

Houston Christian now has a losing record of 4-5. As for St. John XXIII, the win got them back to even at 1-1.

Houston Christian beat St. John XXIII 9-6 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Houston Christian repeat their success, or does St. John XXIII have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.