Softball Game Preview: Our Lady of Mercy Academy Villagers vs. Gloucester Catholic Rams

The Our Lady of Mercy Academy Villagers are taking a road trip to challenge the Gloucester Catholic Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Our Lady of Mercy Academy has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Our Lady of Mercy Academy is headed into the matchup having just suffered their closest defeat since May 11, 2024 on Wednesday. They fell just short of Middle Township by a score of 7-5.

Riley Welker made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-4. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Riley Storms was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

Meanwhile, Gloucester Catholic never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 19-0 margin over Salem. Gloucester Catholic hasn't had any issues with Salem recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.

Bristol Haydak and Madelyn McGinn were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Haydak pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, McGinn tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Haydak scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while McGinn scored two runs and stole a base while going 5-for-5. Those five hits gave McGinn a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maya Hutchinson, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Riley Piechowski, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and four RBI.

The victory got Gloucester Catholic back to even at 1-1. As for Our Lady of Mercy Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.

Our Lady of Mercy Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Gloucester Catholic in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Do the Villagers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.