The Loyola Academy Ramblers will square off against the Fenwick Friars at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Loyola Academy has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with four straight losses, while Fenwick will come in with five straight victories.
Libertyville hit Loyola Academy with a six-run third inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Ramblers came up short against the Wildcats, falling 12-2.
Meanwhile, Fenwick won against Loyola Academy on Tuesday with six runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Wednesday. The Friars won by a run and slipped past Providence Catholic 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Friars have posted since June 3, 2024.
Sofia Kateeb made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Kateeb was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bella Bigham was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Gabriella Simon was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Fenwick pushed their record up to 8-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Loyola Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-13.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Loyola Academy hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Fenwick struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Loyola Academy might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Fenwick when the teams last played on Tuesday. Will the Ramblers 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 softball content.
