The Marian Catholic Spartans are taking a road trip to face off against the Oak Forest Bengals at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Marian Catholic has given up an average of 6.9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Things were looking good for Marian Catholic after they put the first run on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They came up short against Benet Academy, falling 14-3. The Spartans haven't had much luck with the Redwings recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Jazarris Mackmore was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Oak Forest came out on top against Thornton Fractional South on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run second inning. The Bengals' pitcher stepped up to hand the Red Wolves a 15-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Bengals, who have now won ten matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Hayden Noha looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Oak Forest got a massive performance out of Justin Gibbs, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Kevin Sullivan, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs.
Oak Forest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Oak Forest has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Marian Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-13.
Marian Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Oak Forest in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, winning 6-2. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bengals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
