St. Joseph hasn't had much luck against Manchester Academy recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. St. Joseph will welcome Manchester Academy at 6:00 p.m. St. Joseph has given up an average of 13 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
St. Joseph fell victim to Washington and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 15-0 to the Generals. The Fighting Irish's loss continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.
Meanwhile, Manchester Academy had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Saints with a sharp 16-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Mavericks, who have now won 15 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Jon Parker Dees made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched 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 over his last seven games. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Hayden Austin was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two triples, three runs, and four RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Grant Nixon, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Manchester Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .529 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Manchester Academy pushed their record up to 21-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for St. Joseph, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
St. Joseph suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Manchester Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can St. Joseph avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
