The Regis Jesuit Raiders will head out on the road to take on the Pine Creek Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Regis Jesuit barely beat Heritage the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Raiders didn't even let the Eagles on the board on Thursday, marking the Raiders' second-straight 10-0 shutout. The Raiders haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Michael Kroll tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gavin Cronin, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. Carter Rathbun was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run.
Regis Jesuit always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .525. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Heritage only posted an OBP of .231.
Meanwhile, Pine Creek came tearing into Thursday's match with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Spartans.
Tristan Mullis made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other pitching news, Peyton Munoz looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
Back at the plate, Jake Holm was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one run.
Regis Jesuit pushed their record up to 16-6 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs over those games. As for Pine Creek, their record now sits at 17-3.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Regis Jesuit hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Pine Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .393. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Regis Jesuit's way against Pine Creek in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Regis Jesuit made off with a 15-5 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
