Broughton hasn't had much luck against Cardinal Gibbons recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Capitals will be playing in front of their home fans against the Crusaders at 3:00 p.m. Broughton knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past six matchups -- so hopefully Cardinal Gibbons likes a good challenge.
Broughton hadn't beaten Sanderson on the road since April 4, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them last Thursday. The Capitals put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 15-2 win. The Capitals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by ten runs or more this season.
Adeline Gambrell looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Harper Smith
| 03/27/25 @ Sanderson | 3 |
| 04/16/24 @ Cardinal Gibbons | 2 |
| 03/12/25 vs Knightdale | 1 |
| 03/07/25 @ Cary | 1 |
| 02/27/25 @ Knightdale | 1 |
At the plate, Broughton let Lucy Bertram and Harper Smith run wild. Bertram went 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI, while Smith went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave Smith a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Daphne Hall, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Broughton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Gibbons waltzed into their match on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Knights by a score of 11-8.
Sophie Cygnarowicz made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Cygnarowicz was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Cardinal Gibbons got a massive performance out of Talia Marinaro, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Marinaro also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Mallory Kelly was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two doubles.
Broughton is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Cardinal Gibbons, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Broughton hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Cardinal Gibbons struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Broughton came out on top in a nail-biter against Cardinal Gibbons in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 9-7. Will the Capitals repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
