The Althoff Catholic Crusaders will face off against the Valmeyer Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Althoff Catholic has given up an average of 14.9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
On Tuesday, Althoff Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Cahokia, taking the game 23-18. The victory continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Comanches: they've now won eight in a row.
Brooklynn Hebel
| 05/12/26 @ Cahokia | 3 |
| 04/21/26 @ East St. Louis | 1 |
| 04/16/26 @ Gibault Catholic | 1 |
| 04/09/26 vs Marquette Catholic | 1 |
| 03/24/26 vs Metro-East Lutheran | 1 |
Althoff Catholic got a massive performance out of Brooklynn Hebel, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave Hebel a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mariana Caceres, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Valmeyer was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss. They fell 10-6 to New Athens.
Erin Lewis made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Rowold, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Althoff Catholic's win bumped their record up to 3-11. As for Valmeyer, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-10.
Valmeyer's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Althoff Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. It's a different story for Valmeyer, though, as they've only averaged .288. Will they be able to contain Althoff Catholic's hitters?
Althoff Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Valmeyer in their previous meeting back in April of 2021 as they fell 6-1. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
