Bishop O'Connell is 8-2 against St. Mary's Ryken since April of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Bishop O'Connell Knights will head out on the road to challenge the St. Mary's Ryken Knights at 4:30 p.m. Bishop O'Connell's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so St. Mary's Ryken's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Sunday, Bishop O'Connell faced Paul VI in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Bishop O'Connell fell just short of Paul VI by a score of 5-4.
Michael Powell was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 1-for-4. Another player making a difference was Peyton Kijek, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Bishop O'Connell was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Paul VI only hit no.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, St. Mary's Ryken gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 16-5 margin over Bishop Ireton. St. Mary's Ryken's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Gavin Sherman looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned run off two hits (he also didn't allow any walks).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jason Gregory, who went 3-for-5 with four runs, a triple, and an RBI. Austin Michael was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
Bishop O'Connell has not been sharp recently as the team has lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-7 record this season. As for St. Mary's Ryken, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 12-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Bishop O'Connell has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. Mary's Ryken struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Bishop O'Connell beat St. Mary's Ryken 8-3 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Does Bishop O'Connell have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Mary's Ryken turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
