The St. Joseph Academy Crusaders will head out on the road to take on the Orange Glen Patriots at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. St. Joseph Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
St. Joseph Academy was not the first on the board two weeks ago, but they got there more often. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 victory over Chula Vista Learning Community Charter.
Paolo Puccio was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over 4.2 innings pitched. Puccio was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, St. Joseph Academy let Asher Larkin and Khalil Cammayo loose on the outfield. Larkin scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in four of his seven plate appearances, while Cammayo went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, two RBI, and a double. Another player making a difference was Conall McMahon, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Orange Glen waltzed into their contest on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victor by a 13-2 margin over the Legionnaires. Orange Glen's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like St. Joseph Academy, Orange Glen also got a great game from a two-way player: Jacob Morales. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Morales was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Robert Turrubiate, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Damian Banuelos was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
The win got St. Joseph Academy back to even at 2-2. As for Orange Glen, they pushed their record up to 7-3 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Joseph Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Orange Glen struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.1. The only question left is which team can snag more.
St. Joseph Academy beat Orange Glen 5-1 when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Will St. Joseph Academy repeat their success, or does Orange Glen have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
