The Father McGivney Catholic Griffins will head out to face off against the East Alton-Wood River Oilers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Father McGivney Catholic made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Gibault Catholic, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Griffins put the hurt on the Hawks with a sharp 17-7 win on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Griffins considering their two-run performance the match before.
Avery Grenzebach was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high.
Morgan Zobrist
| 04/11/25 vs Gibault Catholic | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Althoff Catholic | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Granite City | 1 |
| 04/25/24 @ Marquette Catholic | 3 |
In other batting news, Morgan Zobrist and Maddy Callovini did most of the damage at the plate: Zobrist scored four runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-5, while Callovini scored four runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most stolen bases Zobrist has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Julia Behrmann, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Father McGivney Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .472. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gibault Catholic only posted a batting average of .333.
Meanwhile, East Alton-Wood River came tearing into Thursday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Shells 13-3. Considering the Oilers have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ellie Beachum made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). Beachum was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, East Alton-Wood River let Jordan Ealey and Haley Pratt run wild. Ealey fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4, while Pratt went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Camey Adams also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Father McGivney Catholic's record is now 4-6. As for East Alton-Wood River, their record now sits at 8-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Father McGivney Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like East Alton-Wood River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Father McGivney Catholic suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to East Alton-Wood River in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Griffins avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
