The Ursuline Fighting Irish are taking a road trip to square off against the LaBrae Vikings at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ursuline 3.6, LaBrae 3.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Ursuline came out on top against Southeast on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fifth inning. The Fighting Irish sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Pirates. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Fighting Irish have posted since April 15th.
Emma Davies made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Ella Lewis was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, LaBrae entered their tilt with Crestview on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Rebels 15-4. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 games by six runs or more this season.
Like Ursuline, LaBrae also got a great game from a two-way player: Leah DeArmitt. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. DeArmitt was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs.
In other batting news, Shelby Bragg was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Riley Rowe, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base.
LaBrae always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .594. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Crestview only posted an OBP of .273.
Ursuline's record is now 12-5. As for LaBrae, their record now sits at 15-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Ursuline hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like LaBrae struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Ursuline came out on top in a nail-biter against LaBrae in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 9-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Fighting Irish since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
