Catholic Central extended their losing streak to five on Saturday, dropping their season record down to 1-9 in the process. They fell 4-0 to the St. Francis Mariners. The Hilltoppers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Mariners apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2024.
As for St. Francis, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 8-6. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games.
For St. Francis' part, Tyler Budzien made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Budzien is becoming a predictor of St. Francis' success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 5-6 when he doesn't). Budzien was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played.
In other batting news, Kingston Liddell was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Zach Perry, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Catholic Central will venture away from home to challenge St. John's Northwestern Military Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for St. Francis, they will head out to take on Augustine Prep at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
