Pine Crest has won three straight games at home, while Cardinal Newman has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Panthers will host the Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. Pine Crest's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Cardinal Newman's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Pine Crest is headed into the matchup having just suffered their closest loss since February 10th on Thursday. They fell just short of Calvary Christian Academy by a score of 4-2.
Cole Kaplan made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Michael Marber was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Newman won against South Fork on Wednesday with four runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Crusaders skirted past North Broward Prep 4-3.
Hunter Gardner tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over six innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cameron Portilla, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
Pine Crest's defeat dropped their record down to 7-7. As for Cardinal Newman, the victory got them back to even at 10-10.
Pine Crest's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Cardinal Newman, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Pine Crest continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
