Purcell Marian is 1-9 against Summit Country Day since May of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Cavaliers will face off against the Silver Knights at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Purcell Marian proved they can win big last Saturday (they won by 26) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Felicity-Franklin 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cavaliers have posted since May 1st.
Sonny Ward made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Ward was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Purcell Marian is 4-2 when Ward posts two or more runs, but 3-13 otherwise.
Eugene Ingram
| 05/17/25 vs Mt. Healthy | 6 |
| 05/21/25 vs Felicity-Franklin | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs Miami Valley Christian Academy | 3 |
| 05/15/25 vs Roger Bacon | 1 |
| 05/05/25 vs Seven Hills | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
In other batting news, Eugene Ingram was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Purcell Marian: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 5-14 otherwise. Ty Raleigh was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Purcell Marian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Felicity-Franklin only posted an OBP of .357.
Meanwhile, Summit Country Day got the win against Mariemont on Saturday by a conclusive 12-2.
Like Purcell Marian, Summit Country Day also got a great game from a two-way player: Jack Phillabaum. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Phillabaum has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lucas Reder and Grayson Houchin did most of the damage at the plate: Reder went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double, while Houchin went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most RBI Houchin has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Bryce McNair, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Summit Country Day pushed their record up to 16-10 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Purcell Marian, their victory bumped their record up to 7-15.
Purcell Marian suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Summit Country Day in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Cavaliers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
