The Althoff Catholic Crusaders will challenge the Granite City Warriors at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Althoff Catholic is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 16 runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Christian Brothers on Monday. They came up short against the Cadets, falling 10-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Crusaders have suffered since April 1st.
Althoff Catholic got a good showing from Luke Smith, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Smith has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Zach Winkeler made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Granite City was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 6-0 to Civic Memorial, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Granite City's loss dropped their record down to 5-14. As for Althoff Catholic, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 14-13 record this season.
Granite City's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Althoff Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. It's a different story for Granite City, though, as they've only averaged .320. Will they be able to contain Althoff Catholic's hitters?
Althoff Catholic couldn't quite finish off Granite City in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 7-5. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
