Althoff Catholic hasn't had much luck against Marquette Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Crusaders are taking a road trip to challenge the Explorers at 4:30 p.m. Althoff Catholic will be strutting in after a victory while Marquette Catholic will be coming in after a loss.
Althoff Catholic not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since April 23, 2025 (when they won 25-1). They blew past Maryville Christian 14-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Maddy Campo made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Campo was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season.
In other batting news, Althoff Catholic got a big performance out of Karson Spencer, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs Spencer has posted since back in March of 2025. Mariana Caceres also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Althoff Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Marquette Catholic suffered their closest defeat since March 21, 2025 on Friday. They fell just short of Granite City by a score of 14-12.
Jayla Dickson made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. She has been hot, having also posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. Another player making a difference was Allie Weiner, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and one triple.
Marquette Catholic's loss dropped their record down to 5-8-1. As for Althoff Catholic, the win was their first at home, bumping their record up to 2-8.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Althoff Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .492. However, it's not like Marquette Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .495. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Althoff Catholic might still be hurting after the 13-1 defeat they got from Marquette Catholic in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
