Baseball Game Preview: Ellicott Thunderhawks vs. St. Mary's Pirates

Ellicott is 0-10 against St. Mary since April of 2019 but things could change on Saturday. The Thunderhawks will face off against the Pirates at 11:00 a.m. Ellicott has given up an average of 12.8 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

While Ellicott's victory against Mitchell wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Thunderhawks skirted past the Marauders 16-14. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Thunderhawks have posted since April 18, 2024.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Mary's). They put the hurt on Calhan with a sharp 18-1 victory on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.

St. Mary's got a massive performance out of Ryan Strub, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Strub is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played. Isaac Velazquez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

St. Mary's was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .417 or higher in three consecutive contests.

St. Mary's pushed their record up to 7-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.2 runs over those games. As for Ellicott, their record is now 3-9-1.

Ellicott suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to St. Mary's when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Thunderhawks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.