The Gross Catholic Cougars will take on the Omaha Central Eagles at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Omaha Central took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Gross Catholic, who comes in off a win.
Last Thursday, Gross Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Omaha South, taking the game 9-5. The victory continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Packers: they've now won four in a row.
Mercer Dougherty looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.
At the plate, Griff Pechar was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Carson Kozeal, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Omaha Central fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Grand Island on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Islanders by a score of 17-16. One positive for the Eagles, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
Joe Dougherty made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Marcus Kane, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances.
Even though they lost, Omaha Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Omaha Central's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Gross Catholic, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gross Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Omaha Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .528. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gross Catholic couldn't quite finish off Omaha Central in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 and fell 3-1. Can Gross Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
