Paul VI is 9-1 against St. Mary's Ryken since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Knights at 5:30 p.m. Paul VI is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Paul VI will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Bishop McNamara on Tuesday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 15-2 victory. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won eight in a row.
Bryson Pickeral looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
Owen Peltier
| 04/22/25 @ Bishop McNamara | 4 |
| 04/15/25 @ DeMatha | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ The Heights | 1 |
| 03/22/25 vs South Lakes | 1 |
| 03/15/25 @ Hilton Head Island | 1 |
On the hitting side, Owen Peltier was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Thomas Jewett, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI and one run.
Paul VI always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bishop McNamara only posted an OBP of .304.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's Ryken scored first but ultimately less than Leonardtown in their contest on Monday. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 6-5. The Knights have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Austin Michael was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Jason Gregory made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. AJ Stefko was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Paul VI's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for St. Mary's Ryken, their loss dropped their record down to 11-11.
St. Mary's Ryken's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Paul VI has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for St. Mary's Ryken, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Paul VI keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend?
Paul VI beat St. Mary's Ryken 6-2 in their previous matchup back in March. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
