The North Branford Thunderbirds will take on the St. Paul Catholic Falcons on Saturday. North Branford will be looking to extend their current 12-game winning streak.
Two must be North Branford's lucky number: they beat St. Bernard with that score not once but twice on Monday. The Thunderbirds didn't even let the Saints on the board, marking the Thunderbirds' second-straight 2-0 shutout.
Lauren Vitarisi
| 06/09/25 vs St. Bernard | 12 |
| 06/06/25 vs Immaculate | 7 |
| 06/04/25 vs Old Lyme | 12 |
| 05/30/25 vs Hale Ray | 12 |
| 05/27/25 vs Coginchaug Regional | 13 |
| + 5 more games |
St. Bernard's batters probably weren't too happy with Lauren Vitarisi, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 12 Ks (she gave up a single walk). Vitarisi has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, North Branford saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alia Martone, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. That's the most doubles Martone has posted since back in May.
Meanwhile, St. Paul Catholic faced Hale Ray in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Falcons blew past the Noises 10-1. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won 21 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Breyona Demora spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Lily McCulloch was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Laila McCulloch, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
St. Paul Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 26-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for North Branford, their win was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 26-1.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North Branford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .482. However, it's not like St. Paul Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .497. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Branford couldn't quite finish off St. Paul Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
