The Head-Royce Jayhawks will take on the St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Head-Royce will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Head-Royce and Redwood Christian meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Jayhawks were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Eagles. The result was nothing new for the Jayhawks, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Kento Tsuji and Ezra Goldfarb made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Tsuji tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Goldfarb tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Tsuji went 3-for-4 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Goldfarb got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs Tsuji has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Head-Royce got a massive performance out of Graham Sanger, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Mateo Gonzalez, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Head-Royce kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, after a string of six wins, St. Joseph Notre Dame's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Athenian by a score of 8-7. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Robbie Fintland made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for St. Joseph Notre Dame: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Dawson Stewart, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Head-Royce's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.9 runs over those games. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 9-1 and their overall record down to 12-10.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Head-Royce has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .449. However, it's not like St. Joseph Notre Dame struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Head-Royce couldn't quite get it done against St. Joseph Notre Dame in their previous meeting two weeks ago as they fell 7-2. Can the Jayhawks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
