The Newman Central Catholic Comets will square off against Chicago Hope Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Newman Central Catholic comes in on three and Chicago Hope Academy on four.
Newman Central Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Johnsburg.
Garret Matznick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Drake Cole
| 05/31/25 vs Johnsburg | 5 |
| 05/24/25 vs Alleman | 2 |
| 05/16/25 vs Marquette | 1 |
| 05/07/25 @ Mendota | 5 |
In other pitching news, Drake Cole looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Garet Wolfe, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Kelly, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Chicago Hope Academy's hitters rose to the challenge against a Romans pitching crew that boasted an average of only 4.05 runs allowed on Saturday. Chicago Hope Academy blew past Latin 11-1. Chicago Hope Academy might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 16 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Dominic Bonilla was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Matthew Mendez, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases and four runs.
Chicago Hope Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Latin only posted an OBP of .211.
Newman Central Catholic's record is now 26-7-1. As for Chicago Hope Academy, their record now sits at 26-12.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Newman Central Catholic has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Chicago Hope Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newman Central Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Chicago Hope Academy in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
