The Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic Friars/Pandas will head out on the road to take on the Archbishop Ryan Raiders and Ragdolls at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Archbishop Ryan's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic and Father Judge meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Friars/Pandas blew past the Crusaders 7-0.
Father Judge's batters probably weren't too happy with Jack Redding, who pitched a no hitter (he gave up two walks).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ryan Friel, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Luke Albarano also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Ryan didn't have quite enough to beat Archbishop Carroll on Monday and fell 2-1.
Jake Marchesano was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Archbishop Ryan saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dave Perez, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Archbishop Ryan's defeat dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Archbishop Ryan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic's way against Archbishop Ryan in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic made off with a 15-5 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Friars/Pandas since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
