The Cardinal Spellman Pilots will head out on the road to face off against the Monsignor McClancy Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Cardinal Spellman took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 11-10 win over Maria Regina. Considering the Pilots' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Danielle Sanchez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 11 Ks.
At the plate, Camila Uribe was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Victoria Sanchez, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Meanwhile, Monsignor McClancy narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past St. Francis Prep 11-9.
Rosalie Destefano made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Monsignor McClancy got a big performance out of Alison Toribio, who went 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That double was Toribio's first of the season. Sabina Franzese was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Monsignor McClancy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .537. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Monsignor McClancy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Cardinal Spellman, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-8.
Cardinal Spellman suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Monsignor McClancy in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Pilots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
