Notre Dame Prep is 1-9 against Masuk since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Lancers will face off against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m.
Notre Dame Prep is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Immaculate on Friday. They fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 3-2.
Justin Ramos made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Masuk had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out the Rebels 11-9. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Panthers considering their one-run performance the game before.
Connor Fulchino made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Fulchino was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jackson Zylick, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Jersen Perez, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Masuk always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .568. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as New Fairfield only posted an OBP of .389.
Masuk pushed their record up to 6-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Notre Dame Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-11.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Notre Dame Prep hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Masuk struggles in that department as they've averaged .327. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Notre Dame Prep suffered a grim 9-2 defeat to Masuk in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Lancers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.