Baseball Preview: Desert Christian Eagles vs. St. Augustine Catholic Wolves
The Desert Christian Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the St. Augustine Catholic Wolves at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Desert Christian is coming into the contest hot, having won their last nine games.
Desert Christian has not done well against St. David recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Desert Christian came out on top against St. David by a score of 5-2.
Bennett Vondrak was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Vondrak was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caden Esquerra, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Cruz Smith, who went 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI.
Meanwhile, St. Augustine Catholic scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Tempe Prep with a sharp 21-5 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for St. Augustine Catholic.
Like Desert Christian, St. Augustine Catholic also got a great game from a two-way player: Owen Ernle. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Ernle was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Andres Betancourt was a standout: he scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. He is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three straight games. Sergio Cordova was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 3-for-5.
Desert Christian's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-2. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs per game. As for St. Augustine Catholic, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 6-7 record this season.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Desert Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like St. Augustine Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Desert Christian beat St. Augustine Catholic 9-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Desert Christian since the squad 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
