The Iona Prep Gaels will challenge the Monsignor Scanlan Crusaders at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Iona Prep has eight straight victories, Monsignor Scanlan has 13 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Iona Prep proved they can win big on Friday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Xavier 4-2. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 5, 2022, but that streak is no more.
Shane Jelenevsky spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Sam Mueller and Devin Diaz did most of the damage at the plate: Mueller got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one run, while Diaz went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and one run. That's the most stolen bases Diaz has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Goldstein, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Monsignor Scanlan fell victim to Moore Catholic and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 8-0 to the Mavericks.
Iona Prep's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-3-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.7 runs over those games. As for Monsignor Scanlan, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-15.
Monsignor Scanlan's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Iona Prep hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .384. It's a different story for Monsignor Scanlan, though, as they've only averaged .212. Will they be able to contain Iona Prep's hitters?
Iona Prep took their win against Monsignor Scanlan in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Gaels repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
