The Aquinas Academy Crusaders will square off against Winchester Thurston at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
On Thursday, Aquinas Academy made easy work of Summit Academy and carried off a 12-2 victory. The Crusaders haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Zach Yohe made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Yohe was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Richie Haring and Ian Patterson did most of the damage at the plate: Haring scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Patterson scored two runs while getting on base in both of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Tim Crawford, who scored two runs while going 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, Winchester Thurston got the win against St. Joseph on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-1. That 14 run margin sets a new team best for Winchester Thurston this season.
Like Aquinas Academy, Winchester Thurston also got a great game from a two-way player: Sam Tarr. On the mound, Tarr tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Mason Witten pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. The dominant performance also gave Tarr a new career-high in strikeouts (three). At bat, Tarr scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3, while Witten scored two runs and stole two bases. Witten is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
In other batting news, Winchester Thurston got a massive performance out of Lucas Picher, who went 3-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and two doubles. Those five RBI gave Picher a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaelin Leimer, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Winchester Thurston always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .564. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Joseph only posted an OBP of .364.
The victory made it two in a row for Winchester Thurston and bumps their season record up to 4-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.5 runs over those games. As for Aquinas Academy, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Aquinas Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Winchester Thurston struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 14.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Aquinas Academy suffered a grim 11-4 defeat to Winchester Thurston in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will Aquinas Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
