Boylan Catholic hasn't had much luck against Belvidere North recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Titans will head out on the road to challenge the Blue Thunder at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Boylan Catholic will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Rockford East on Wednesday. The Titans never let the E-Rabs get on the board and left with a 21-0 win. The Titans have beaten the E-Rabs the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the E-Rabs has come to flipping the script.
Ari Ousley
| 04/23/25 vs Rockford East | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Rochelle | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs River Ridge/Scales Mound | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs River Ridge/Scales Mound | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Woodstock | 1 |
Ari Ousley and Dez Moore made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Ousley pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Moore pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Ousley went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one triple, while Moore went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. The dominant performance also gave Ousley a new career-high in RBI (two).
In other batting news, Sophia Banks was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI and one triple. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Maddy Kiley was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Boylan Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .643. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Belvidere North had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 21-2 margin over the Knights. The Blue Thunder's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Ava Morris made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Morris was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Belvidere North got a massive performance out of Jenna Yakey, who went 3-for-5 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Paige Johnson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs and one triple.
The victory got Boylan Catholic back to even at 6-6. As for Belvidere North, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Boylan Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Belvidere North struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Boylan Catholic suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Belvidere North in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Titans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
