Softball Game Preview: Pope Francis Prep Cardinals vs. Springfield Renaissance

Pope Francis Prep is a perfect 4-0 against Springfield Renaissance since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Cardinals will host Springfield Renaissance at 4:00 p.m. Springfield Renaissance took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Pope Francis Prep, who comes in off a win.

Pope Francis Prep barely beat Putnam Vo-Tech the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cardinals blew past the Beavers 33-15 on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cardinals.

Pope Francis Prep got a massive performance out of Lacey Bermudez-Lizardi, who scored five runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah Johnson, who got on base in four of her six plate appearances with four runs, three RBI, and one triple.

Meanwhile, Springfield Renaissance came up short against Commerce on Monday, falling 22-8. Springfield Renaissance hasn't had much luck with Commerce recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Mariah Dandridge made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.

Springfield Renaissance now has a losing record of 1-2. As for Pope Francis Prep, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

Springfield Renaissance's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pope Francis Prep has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Springfield Renaissance, though, as they've been averaging 8.7 hits. Given Pope Francis Prep's sizable advantage in that area, Springfield Renaissance will need to find a way to close that gap.

Pope Francis Prep took their victory against Springfield Renaissance when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 34-7 score. Will the Cardinals repeat their success, or do Springfield Renaissance have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.