The Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers will face off against the Bishop McNamara Fightin' Irish at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last four games Bradley-Bourbonnais has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Monday, Bradley-Bourbonnais didn't have quite enough to beat Lockport and fell 5-3.
Lydia Hammond put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Hammond was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Bella Pusateri
| 05/05/25 @ Lockport | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Oak Forest | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Stagg | 2 |
| 04/28/25 vs Homewood-Flossmoor | 1 |
In other batting news, Bella Pusateri made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played.
Meanwhile, Bishop McNamara entered their tilt with Chicago Christian on Wednesday with nine consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with ten. They were the clear victors by a 14-8 margin over the Knights. Considering the Fightin' Irish have won 11 matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Joslynn Dole spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on ten hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Analeah Ramirez, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby Burnett, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Bishop McNamara was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .459. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Chicago Christian only posted a batting average of .323.
Bishop McNamara's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for Bradley-Bourbonnais, their loss dropped their record down to 13-9.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bradley-Bourbonnais hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like Bishop McNamara struggles in that department as they've averaged .424. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Bradley-Bourbonnais' way against Bishop McNamara when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Bradley-Bourbonnais made off with a 9-0 victory. Will the Boilermakers repeat their success, or do the Fightin' Irish have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
