The Shrine Catholic Knights will challenge the Whitmore Lake Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Shrine Catholic's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Whitmore Lake's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Shrine Catholic is headed into the contest having just posted their closest win since April 15th on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Mott 6-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Knights.
Nate Alba
| 05/12/25 vs Mott | 7 |
| 05/06/25 vs Cranbrook Kingswood | 9 |
| 05/03/25 @ Greenhills | 8 |
| 04/28/25 @ Oakland Christian | 8 |
Nate Alba spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Shrine Catholic saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nick Zieldorff, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Will Roco also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Whitmore Lake earned a 6-1 victory over Lutheran on Tuesday.
James Burns made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over 6.2 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Whitmore Lake is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-10 otherwise. Burns was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cooper Abla, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. He has become a key player for Whitmore Lake: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 3-10 otherwise. Jayden Canter was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and one run.
Whitmore Lake's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-10. As for Shrine Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 14-6.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Shrine Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. However, it's not like Whitmore Lake struggles in that department as they've averaged .470. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Shrine Catholic's way against Whitmore Lake in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Shrine Catholic made off with a 12-2 win. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
