Softball Game Preview: Sacred Heart Academy Sharks vs. St. Mary's Lancers

The Sacred Heart Academy Sharks will square off against the St. Mary's Lancers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The timing isn't great for Sacred Heart Academy: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while St. Mary's has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.

On Thursday, Sacred Heart Academy came up short against Nardin Academy and fell 5-2.

Emma Popp

Batters Struck Out

05/08/25 vs Nardin Academy	12
05/05/25 @ Mount Mercy Academy	12
04/29/25 @ St. Mary's	6
04/28/25 @ Mount St. Mary Academy	5
04/23/25 @ Lancaster	7
03/31/25 @ Nardin Academy	11

Emma Popp spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

Meanwhile, St. Mary's put their dominant pitchers on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Mount St. Mary Academy a 9-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Lancers, who have now won seven matchups by nine runs or more so far this season.

Ella Dovey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Dovey was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, Lexi Brown was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alexa Saunders, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.

St. Mary's kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive contests.

Sacred Heart Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for St. Mary's, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.

Sacred Heart Academy suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to St. Mary's when the teams last played last Tuesday. Will the Sharks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.