St. John Paul II is 0-10 against Rising Tide since April of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Lions will face off against Rising Tide at 4:00 p.m. St. John Paul II has given up an average of 11.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
St. John Paul II is headed into the contest having just suffered their biggest loss since May 20, 2024 on Monday. They came up short against Dennis-Yarmouth Regional, falling 18-5.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Rising Tide made sure to put some runs up on the board against Mashpee on Wednesday. Rising Tide was the clear victor by a 21-8 margin over Mashpee. Considering Rising Tide has won five games by more than 11 runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Alanna Flanders made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her six plate appearances with two stolen bases and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shelby Ruth, who got on base in all six of her plate appearances with six runs, three stolen bases, and two RBI. Emily Melby was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and one stolen base.
Rising Tide kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Rising Tide is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for St. John Paul II, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-4.
St. John Paul II couldn't quite get it done against Rising Tide in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 9-6. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
