The Stratford Academy Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the St. Anne-Pacelli Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Stratford Academy got their first taste of in-conference action on Tuesday and they started things off strong. They had just enough and edged out John Milledge Academy 6-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.
The team relied heavily on Brayden Fritz, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Jett Johnston was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Anne-Pacelli). They blew past Westfield School 17-9 two weeks ago. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Vikings considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Jaycob Veloz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had over his last three matchups. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4. St. Anne-Pacelli is undefeated when Veloz posts two or more runs, but 5-11 otherwise.
In other batting news, Connor Zittrauer was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Braden Hudson, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
St. Anne-Pacelli always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .585. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
St. Anne-Pacelli's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-11. As for Stratford Academy, their record now sits at 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Stratford Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Anne-Pacelli struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Stratford Academy came up short against St. Anne-Pacelli in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, falling 12-7. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
