St. Joseph Notre Dame has won five straight games at home, while Head-Royce has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Pilots will welcome the Jayhawks at 4:00 p.m.
St. Joseph Notre Dame is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Athenian just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Owls by a score of 8-7. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Robbie Fintland
| 04/28/25 @ Head-Royce | 3 |
| 03/28/25 @ College Prep | 3 |
| 05/08/25 @ Athenian | 2 |
| 05/05/25 vs Athenian | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Redwood Christian | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
Robbie Fintland made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of St. Joseph Notre Dame's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 8-9 when he doesn't). Dawson Stewart was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Head-Royce and Redwood Christian meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Jayhawks put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-2 victory. The Jayhawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by six runs or more this season.
Kento Tsuji and Ezra Goldfarb made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Tsuji tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Goldfarb pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Tsuji went 3-for-4 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Goldfarb got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs Goldfarb has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Head-Royce got a massive performance out of Graham Sanger, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Mateo Gonzalez, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Head-Royce kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive games.
Head-Royce is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 9-1 and their overall record down to 12-10.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Joseph Notre Dame has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Head-Royce struggles in that department as they've averaged .449. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Joseph Notre Dame beat Head-Royce 7-2 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Do the Pilots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Jayhawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
