The Roncalli Royals will head out on the road to take on the Franklin Central Flashes at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Roncalli has nine straight victories, Franklin Central has five straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Roncalli barely beat Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Royals never let the Braves get on the board and left with a 13-0 win on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Royals, who have now won five games by ten runs or more so far this season.
Collin Ash
| 04/16/25 @ Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Heritage Christian | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Columbus North | 1 |
Collin Ash made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rudy Schoettle, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Sam Roeder was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Roncalli was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory only posted a batting average of .091.
Meanwhile, Franklin Central fell victim to Avon and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 13-0 to the Orioles. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Flashes have suffered against the Orioles since April 12, 2023.
Roncalli pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Franklin Central, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
Franklin Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Roncalli hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. It's a different story for Franklin Central, though, as they've only averaged .235. Will they be able to contain Roncalli's hitters?
Roncalli couldn't quite get it done against Franklin Central when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Can the Royals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
