St. John Paul II Catholic will challenge North Valley Christian Academy at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
St. John Paul II Catholic is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Highland Prep West on Thursday as they made off with a 21-2 victory. The win was nothing new for the Lions as they're now sitting on three straight.
Francisco Vasquez
| 04/24/25 vs Highland Prep West | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Glendale Prep Academy | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs Kingman Academy | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Miami | 1 |
| 04/19/24 vs Kingman Academy | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Francisco Vasquez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Adrian Zaragoza was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: St. John Paul II Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Highland Prep West only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, North Valley Christian Academy waltzed into their match on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They put the hurt on the Patriots with a sharp 31-20 victory.
Brayden Collins was a standout: he got on base in six of his seven plate appearances with five stolen bases, seven RBI, and three runs. He has become a key player for North Valley Christian Academy: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 5-14-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Barela, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances with five stolen bases, five runs, and two RBI.
St. John Paul II Catholic pushed their record up to 12-4 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for North Valley Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 11-15-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. John Paul II Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like North Valley Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .485. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. John Paul II Catholic took their victory against North Valley Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 20-8 score. Will St. John Paul II Catholic repeat their success, or does North Valley Christian Academy has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
