The Wheaton Academy Warriors are taking a road trip to square off against the Bishop McNamara Fightin' Irish at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
If Wheaton Academy beats Bishop McNamara with 14 runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Warriors beat Chicago Hope Academy on Thursday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 14-4. The victory was familiar territory for the Warriors, who have now won three contests in a row.
Tati Chavez spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Olivia Stary was incredible, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. She also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Reese Dryfhout was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Wheaton Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .667 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bishop McNamara). They put the hurt on Timothy Christian with a sharp 19-1 win on Thursday. The Fightin' Irish have beaten the Trojans the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Trojans has come to flipping the script.
Joslynn Dole made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Dole was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Camille Czako was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Vivian Dole, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Bishop McNamara pushed their record up to 7-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Wheaton Academy, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wheaton Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .591. However, it's not like Bishop McNamara struggles in that department as they've averaged .434. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Wheaton Academy might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Bishop McNamara when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
