The John Paul II Catholic Saints will take on the Bethel Christian Academy Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
John Paul II Catholic picked up another tournament win on Wednesday. They blew past North East Carolina Prep 19-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Saints.
Logan Smith was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Smith was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, John Paul II Catholic got a massive performance out of Cara Edwards, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI Edwards has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Makinzie Seymour, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
John Paul II Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are 9-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Bethel Christian Academy made easy work of Wilmington Christian Academy last Tuesday and carried off a 10-3 victory. The Trojans haven't had any issues with the Patriots recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Like John Paul II Catholic, Bethel Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Suzanne Rouse. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. Rouse has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Allison Turnage, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. Another player making a difference was Emma Ingram, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two runs.
Bethel Christian Academy's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for John Paul II Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 12-8-1.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. John Paul II Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .392. However, it's not like Bethel Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .383. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
John Paul II Catholic took their win against Bethel Christian Academy in their previous matchup on April 3rd by a conclusive 10-0 score. Do the Saints have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
