The St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots will head out on the road to face off against the Head-Royce Jayhawks at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
St. Joseph Notre Dame's tournament run continued when they took on Gregori on Wednesday. The Pilots fell just short of the Jaguars by a score of 5-4.
St. Joseph Notre Dame saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zach Lopez, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Head-Royce owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. They put the hurt on College Prep with a sharp 6-0 victory. The Jayhawks haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Mateo Gonzalez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
Head-Royce's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Joseph Notre Dame has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Head-Royce struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. Joseph Notre Dame couldn't quite get it done against Head-Royce in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Can the Pilots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
