Softball Game Preview: Mercy Jaguars vs. Sacred Heart Valkyries

Mercy is 6-1 against Sacred Heart since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. Mercy is taking a road trip to face off against Sacred Heart at 5:30 p.m. Mercy will be strutting in after a win while Sacred Heart will be coming in after a defeat.

While Mercy's victory against Holy Cross wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Mercy skirted past Holy Cross 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Jaguars have posted against the Cougars since April 26, 2021.

Lyla Ballou

Batters Struck Out

03/19/25 vs Holy Cross	5
03/17/25 @ South Oldham	1
04/30/24 vs Fern Creek	2
04/25/24 @ Bullitt East	4
04/23/24 @ North Bullitt	1
04/18/24 vs Jeffersontown	7

Lyla Ballou tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.

At the plate, Allie Streble was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Emerson Shively, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Sacred Heart didn't have quite enough to beat Fern Creek on Saturday and fell 3-1. The Valkyries have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Sacred Heart saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Grace Knoerr, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Knoerr also hit a double, marking her first of the season.

Mercy pushed their record up to 2-0 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Sacred Heart, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.

Mercy came out on top in a nail-biter against Sacred Heart when the teams last played back in March of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mercy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.