The John Paul II Catholic Saints will head out on the road to face off against the Catholic Crusaders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. John Paul II Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.9 runs per game this season.
John Paul II Catholic lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Wayne Christian, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's game. The Saints put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 12-2 victory on Thursday. The Saints might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by eight runs or more this season.
John Paul II Catholic got a great performance from Landon Simpson as he struck out eight batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Simpson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
JT Williams
| 03/20/26 vs Columbia | 5 |
| 04/16/26 vs Wayne Christian | 4 |
| 04/07/26 vs North East Carolina Prep | 3 |
| 04/06/26 vs E.E. Smith | 3 |
| 04/02/26 vs Wilson Christian Academy | 3 |
| + 3 more games |
At the plate, JT Williams was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. John Paul II Catholic is undefeated when Williams posts three or more RBI, but 6-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Taylor Ashley, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base.
John Paul II Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Catholic fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Hampton Roads Academy on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Navigators by a score of 4-3. The Crusaders just can't catch a break and have now endured three losses in a row.
Carson Norton was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Noah Woods was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
John Paul II Catholic is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.
Catholic's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: John Paul II Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .495. It's a different story for Catholic, though, as they've only averaged .347. Will they be able to contain John Paul II Catholic's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
