Knights
| 04/21/25 vs Leonardtown | 5 |
| 04/19/25 vs Mount St. Joseph | 1 |
| 04/19/25 vs St. Michaels | 5 |
| 04/17/25 vs Gonzaga | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ Archbishop Carroll | 24 |
| + 17 more games |
St. Mary's Ryken is 1-9 against Paul VI since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Knights will challenge the Panthers at 5:30 p.m. St. Mary's Ryken is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Things were looking good for St. Mary's Ryken after they put the first run on the board on Monday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Leonardtown by a score of 6-5. The Knights have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Austin Michael was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Jason Gregory made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Another player making a difference was AJ Stefko, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Paul VI never got on the board in their matchup on Saturday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Bishop McNamara on Tuesday. They blew past the Mustangs 15-2. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won nine matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Bryson Pickeral looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Owen Peltier was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Thomas Jewett was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI and one run.
Paul VI always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bishop McNamara only posted an OBP of .304.
Paul VI pushed their record up to 19-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for St. Mary's Ryken, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Mary's Ryken has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Paul VI struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
St. Mary's Ryken couldn't quite get it done against Paul VI when the teams last played back in March as they fell 6-2. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
