Bishop Watterson is 9-1 against Bishop Hartley since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Eagles will challenge the Hawks at 5:00 p.m. Bishop Watterson's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Bishop Hartley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bishop Watterson took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against St. Francis DeSales by a score of 7-2.
Blaise Strausbaugh spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Ben Burleson
| 04/30/25 vs St. Francis DeSales | 4 |
| 04/14/25 vs St. Charles | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Columbus Academy | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ St. Francis DeSales | 1 |
| 04/23/25 vs Bishop Hartley | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ben Burleson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Chance Strausbaugh was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Bishop Watterson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .385 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bishop Hartley entered their tilt with St. Charles on Wednesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Cardinals a 2-0 shutout.
Not much got past Ben Stephenson, who gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks to keep St. Charles off the board.
On the hitting side, Bishop Hartley's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Derek Hernandez, who went 1-for-3 with one run. Another was Carson Moore, who earned one run and two stolen bases.
Bishop Watterson pushed their record up to 9-2-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Bishop Hartley, the win got them back to even at 8-8.
Bishop Hartley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bishop Watterson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Bishop Hartley, though, as they've only averaged .353. Will they be able to contain Bishop Watterson's hitters?
Bishop Watterson skirted past Bishop Hartley 3-1 in their previous meeting last Wednesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
