Saint Andrew hasn't had much luck against St. John Paul II Academy recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Scots will head out on the road to face off against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Saint Andrew's is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Saint Andrew's is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Westminster Christian get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Considering the Scots have won ten matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Carter Derks, who gave up just six hits and racked up six Ks to keep Westminster Christian off the board. Derks has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Aaron Orozco was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Matt Spina, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, St. John Paul II Academy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over Cardinal Newman on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Eagles.
Jack Wilhoit tossed a big game, pitching 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Emmanuel Lantigua, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. Connor Re was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI.
St. John Paul II Academy pushed their record up to 20-10-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.4 runs across that stretch. As for Saint Andrew's, their record now sits at 20-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Saint Andrew's has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. John Paul II Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
