The Bishop O'Connell Knights will venture away from home to take on the Paul VI Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Bishop O'Connell took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Bishop McNamara with a sharp 13-3 victory. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Mark Zonavetch looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off one hit. That hit marked the first that he allowed this season.
On the hitting side, Truman Leckey was a standout: he scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Jack Woda, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Bishop O'Connell hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Paul VI waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. Their pitcher stepped up to hand The Heights a 12-0 shutout. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by eight runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Landon McGinn's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Landon Sirois, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Cole Karas was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
Bishop O'Connell's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-4. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 3.5 runs across that stretch. As for Paul VI, their record is now 15-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop O'Connell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Paul VI struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bishop O'Connell might still be hurting after the 8-0 defeat they got from Paul VI in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
