Baseball Game Preview: Monsignor Scanlan Crusaders vs. Moore Catholic Mavericks

The Monsignor Scanlan Crusaders will challenge the Moore Catholic Mavericks at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Monsignor Scanlan has struggled recently with 12 defeats in a row, while Moore Catholic will arrive with five straight wins.

Monsignor Scanlan came up short against Cardinal Spellman on Tuesday, falling 7-1. That's two games in a row now that the Crusaders have lost by exactly six runs.

Monsignor Scanlan saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ahmo Kolenovic, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one double.

Meanwhile, Moore Catholic's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Monday. They never let Archbishop Stepinac get on the board and left with a 5-0 victory.

The result came thanks to NICHOLAS NEVILLE's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, TODD VIERRA and JUSTIN NELSON did most of the damage at the plate: VIERRA went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base, while NELSON went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most hits VIERRA has posted over his last nine games. The team also got some help courtesy of CHRISTOPHER EUGENE, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Monsignor Scanlan's loss dropped their record down to 3-14. As for Moore Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 14-6-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Monsignor Scanlan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Moore Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Monsignor Scanlan might still be hurting after the 9-2 defeat they got from Moore Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.