St. Augustine Catholic has been on the road for two straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Tempe Prep Knights at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. St. Augustine Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Last Thursday, St. Augustine Catholic fell victim to a rough 13-5 defeat at the hands of Horizon Honors. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for St. Augustine Catholic in their matchups with Horizon Honors: they've now lost four in a row.
St. Augustine Catholic saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Owen Ernle, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Sergio Cordova, who went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Tempe Prep scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Sequoia Pathway Academy a 23-0 shutout. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Tempe Prep.
Marco Gastelo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Gastelo was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with five RBI, a run, and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nick Gastelum, who scored three runs while going 5-for-5. Another player making a difference was Carlos Gastelum, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
St. Augustine Catholic's defeat dropped their record down to 4-7. As for Tempe Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 2-6.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Augustine Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .453. However, it's not like Tempe Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .509. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Augustine Catholic couldn't quite finish off Tempe Prep in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 and fell 8-6. Thankfully for St. Augustine Catholic, Cole Rotner (who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over four innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
