The Carrick Raiders will challenge the Aquinas Academy Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Carrick took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They blew past Penn Hills 14-4. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Raiders considering their two-run performance the game before.
Eli Wittmann made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has become a key player for Carrick: the team is 3-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 3-5 otherwise. Wittmann was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Riley Mares
| 03/24/25 @ Brashear | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs Penn Hills | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Obama Academy of International Studies | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Brashear | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Perry Traditional Academy | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
In other batting news, Carrick let Riley Mares and Luzay Watson run wild. Mares got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Watson went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Carrick is undefeated when Mares posts two or more runs, but 0-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kelly Maxwell, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Carrick always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Aquinas Academy got the win against St. Joseph on Tuesday by a conclusive 11-2. The result was nothing new for the Crusaders, who have now won four contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Jonah Burchill was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jack Stanton, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Henry Hynds was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Aquinas Academy's victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-9. As for Carrick, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
