The Crete Cardinals will venture away from home to challenge the Gross Catholic Cougars at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Crete came out on top against Lakeview on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run sixth inning. The Cardinals' pitcher stepped up to hand the Vikings an 8-0 shutout. The game was the first time the Cardinals have beaten the Vikings on their field since September 27, 2021.
The result came thanks to Madynn Dunham's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kacey Dunaway, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 15 contests. The team also got some help courtesy of Makesha Smith, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Gross Catholic waltzed into their matchup on Monday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Monarchs 14-7. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Alexis Skradski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up ten Ks.
At the plate, Gross Catholic got a massive performance out of Lauren Kosse, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Brynn Hofmann was another key player, going 3-for-5 with four runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Gross Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.8.
Crete's record now sits at 21-5. As for Gross Catholic, their record is now 10-11.
Gross Catholic's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Crete has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. It's a different story for Gross Catholic, though, as they've only averaged .364. Will they be able to contain Crete's hitters?
Crete took their victory against Gross Catholic when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 8-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
