The Morris Catholic Crusaders are taking a road trip to take on the Whippany Park Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Morris Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Morris Catholic barely beat Pequannock the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Crusaders were the clear victors by a 17-3 margin over the Golden Panthers on Wednesday. The Crusaders haven't had any issues with the Golden Panthers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Ava Florio
| 04/16/25 @ Pequannock | 5 |
| 04/01/25 @ Madison | 1 |
| 05/09/24 vs Parsippany | 9 |
Morris Catholic got a great performance from Ava Florio as she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. What's more, Florio posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024.
At the plate, Natalie Carovillano was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Capezza, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs.
Morris Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Whippany Park and Hanover Park meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Wildcats came up short against the Hornets, falling 12-4. The loss continues a trend for the Wildcats in their meetings with the Hornets: they've now lost five in a row.
Julia Beers stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Jaeden Antonelli also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Morris Catholic pushed their record up to 4-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. 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 Whippany Park, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Morris Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .409. However, it's not like Whippany Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Morris Catholic couldn't quite finish off Whippany Park in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
