Burke Catholic is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will head out on the road to square off against the Tri-Valley Bears at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Burke Catholic has five straight wins, Tri-Valley has nine straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Burke Catholic is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Port Jervis with a sharp 17-3 victory on Tuesday. Considering Burke Catholic has won four matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jordan Drucker made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Drucker was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other pitching news, Tim Brogan and Aaron Drucker dominated on the mound. Brogan pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits, while Drucker tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Brogan has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Dylan DeMaro, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brendyn Quinn, who went 1-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Tri-Valley and Ellenville, and Ellenville kept the tradition alive. The Bears fell just short of the Blue Devils by a score of 10-8 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Bears have suffered since April 10, 2024.
Joseph Douglas made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was James Kachelreiss, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Burke Catholic's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Tri-Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 0-9.
Tri-Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Burke Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .411. It's a different story for Tri-Valley, though, as they've only averaged .205. Will they be able to contain Burke Catholic's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
