The Catholic Central Crusaders will challenge the Madonna Blue Dons at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Catholic Central has given up an average of 15.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Tuesday, Catholic Central came up short against Wellsville and fell 13-8. The Crusaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Genna Free
| 04/08/25 vs Wellsville | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs David Anderson | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs Valley | 1 |
Genna Free was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. Free is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddie McEndree, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Madonna came tearing into Wednesday's contest with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Dragons as they made off with a 9-2 win. Considering the Blue Dons have won seven matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kendall Ryan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Madi Owens, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Chloe Orecchio, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Madonna's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Catholic Central, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Catholic Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .485. However, it's not like Madonna struggles in that department as they've averaged .510. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Catholic Central might still be hurting after the 18-0 defeat they got from Madonna in their previous meeting back in March. 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 softball content.
