The Saint Mary's Hall Barons are taking a road trip to face off against the San Antonio Christian Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Saint Mary's Hall is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Saint Mary's Hall took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against Providence Catholic, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Barons had just enough and edged out the Provets 5-4 on Thursday. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Meryl Jones spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Torrey Baker was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Alexis Holmes also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, San Antonio Christian hadn't done well against Holy Cross recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Lions came out on top in a nail-biter against the Knights, sneaking past 3-2. The Lions haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
San Antonio Christian's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Payton Miller, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Saint Mary's Hall is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-6-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for San Antonio Christian, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Saint Mary's Hall hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. However, it's not like San Antonio Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Saint Mary's Hall came out on top in a nail-biter against San Antonio Christian in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Barons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
