Softball Preview: Bishop Neumann Cavaliers vs. Mercy Monarchs
Bishop Neumann has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Mercy Monarchs at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Bishop Neumann is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.4 runs per game this season.
Bishop Neumann is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Skutt Catholic, who was ranked 17th in their home state at the time (Bishop Neumann was ranked 11th). Bishop Neumann fell 9-6 to Skutt Catholic on Thursday. The Cavaliers' defeat signaled the end of their seven-game winning streak.
Bishop Neumann saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Isabelle Stuhr, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Stuhr has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Adelyn Zwick, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Bishop Neumann kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Mercy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They lost 9-1 to Duchesne/Roncalli. That's two games in a row now that the Monarchs have lost by exactly eight runs.
Bishop Neumann's defeat ended an eight-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 12-2. As for Mercy, their loss dropped their record down to 3-13.
Mercy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bishop Neumann has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Mercy, though, as they've been averaging 9.4. Given Bishop Neumann's sizable advantage in that area, Mercy will need to find a way to close that gap.
Bishop Neumann came out on top in a nail-biter against Mercy in their previous meeting back in September of 2022, sneaking past 3-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bishop Neumann since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
