The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes will challenge the Land O' Lakes Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Saint Mary's Hall on Thursday. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic was the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Saint Mary's Hall. The high-scoring effort was just what the Hurricanes needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Noah Cartiglia looked comfortable as he tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Steele Thalleen, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Keith Jacobs, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, the third road game was the charm for Land O' Lakes, as they earned their first road win of the season. Everything went their way against King on Wednesday as Land O' Lakes made off with a 9-1 win. With that victory, the Gators brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Land O' Lakes also got a great performance from Nick Schwartz as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Schwartz has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Santi Busot was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Land O' Lakes, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Land O' Lakes struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Land O' Lakes when the teams last played two weeks ago. Will Bishop McLaughlin Catholic have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
