The Highland Bulldogs are taking a road trip to take on the Father McGivney Catholic Griffins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Highland comes in on four and Father McGivney Catholic on 22.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Bulldogs on Monday. Highland skirted past Waterloo 4-3.
Chase Knebel
| 04/28/25 vs Waterloo | 10 |
| 04/21/25 vs Mascoutah | 6 |
| 04/14/25 @ Jersey | 7 |
| 04/07/25 @ Granite City | 12 |
| 03/31/25 vs Breese Central | 11 |
| 03/24/25 vs Byron | 8 |
Chase Knebel spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Highland's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Garrin Stone, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, while Father McGivney Catholic put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Maryville Christian. The Griffins blew past the Lions 14-0. The Griffins might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 18 matches by six runs or more this season.
Ben Sink was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Father McGivney Catholic let Scott Phelps and Omar Avalos run wild. Phelps went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two doubles, while Avalos went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most RBI Phelps has posted over his last 11 contests. Jacoby Danco also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Father McGivney Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive games.
Highland's record is now 10-6. As for Father McGivney Catholic, their record now sits at 24-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Highland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Father McGivney Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
