The Gloucester Catholic Rams will face off against the St. Augustine Prep Hermits at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Gloucester Catholic sitting on 14 straight victories dating back to last season and St. Augustine Prep on five.
Gloucester Catholic is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Washington Township with a sharp 15-2 win on Thursday. The Rams might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by six runs or more this season.
Sal Marziani looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Guy Lynam was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in May of 2024. Mike Angelo was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base.
Gloucester Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, St. Augustine Prep faced Bishop Eustace Prep in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Hermits came out on top against the Crusaders by a score of 7-3. Surprisingly, this marked the Hermits' fifth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Jameson Dobis tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits.
At the plate, St. Augustine Prep let Brady Jackson and Marco Christopher run wild. Jackson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run, while Christopher went 1-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Joe Peacock, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Gloucester Catholic's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for St. Augustine Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 13-1.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Gloucester Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like St. Augustine Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gloucester Catholic beat St. Augustine Prep 6-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
