The Ursuline Fighting Irish will face off against the East Palestine Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Ursuline is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last five games.
Ursuline had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Cardinal Mooney on Tuesday. The Fighting Irish put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 9-3 win. Surprisingly, this marked the Fighting Irish's third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Luke Kollar
| 04/29/25 @ Cardinal Mooney | 4 |
| 05/20/24 @ Alliance | 3 |
| 05/13/24 vs Chaney | 3 |
| 04/29/24 vs South Range | 3 |
| 04/23/24 vs Hubbard | 3 |
Luke Kollar was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Rowan Urbach, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
East Palestine couldn't beat Heartland Christian on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the second inning. The Bulldogs took an 11-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lions. The loss continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their meetings with the Lions: they've now lost four in a row.
Kyler Bourne was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had over his last four contests. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Kealin Simon was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Brad Bartels, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Ursuline pushed their record up to 9-7 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. 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 East Palestine, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ursuline has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like East Palestine struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
