Gibault Catholic has gone a perfect 9-0 against New Athens recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. Gibault Catholic will face off against New Athens at 4:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Gibault Catholic put up the most points they have all season on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Cahokia a 20-0 shutout. The win continues a trend for the Hawks in their matchups with the Comanches: they've now won nine in a row.
Noah Koeninger
| 03/26/25 vs Cahokia | 2 |
| 05/10/24 @ Carlyle | 1 |
| 04/17/24 vs Trico | 1 |
| 04/13/24 vs Okawville | 1 |
| 03/20/24 @ Cahokia | 1 |
Noah Koeninger and Nathaniel Atkinson were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Koeninger struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Atkinson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Koeninger has allowed since back in April of 2024. At bat, Koeninger scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Atkinson scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Those two runs gave Koeninger a new career-high.
In other batting news, Tyler Frierdich was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in both of his plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Kole Schilling also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Gibault Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .788. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, New Athens made easy work of Carlyle on Wednesday and carried off a 12-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Yellow Jackets.
New Athens got a massive performance out of Wil Mulholland, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Lane Kimbrell was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI.
New Athens now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Gibault Catholic, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gibault Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .463. However, it's not like New Athens struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gibault Catholic skirted past New Athens 4-3 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gibault Catholic since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
