Softball Game Preview: Heritage Christian Eagles vs. Cathedral Fighting Irish

Heritage Christian is 0-7 against Cathedral since April of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the Fighting Irish at 5:00 p.m. Heritage Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.

Heritage Christian will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Irvington Preparatory Academy on Thursday. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 14-7 margin over Irvington Preparatory Academy. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with Irvington Preparatory Academy: they've now won three in a row.

Hannah Tesnar spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 12 Ks.

Audrey Kopka

Runs (Career)

05/08/25 @ Irvington Preparatory Academy	5
03/26/24 @ Sheridan	4
05/03/25 vs Christel House	3
04/28/25 vs Pike	3
04/20/24 @ Horizon Christian	3

At the plate, Audrey Kopka was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with five runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those five runs gave her a new career-high. Anna Hilbrich was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and one RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Heritage Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 10.2.

Meanwhile, Cathedral strolled into their game on Wednesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They walked away with a 9-6 win over Carmel.

Cathedral's victory was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Heritage Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 6-9.

Heritage Christian couldn't quite finish off Cathedral in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 and fell 3-1. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.