Althoff Catholic is 1-8 against Belleville West since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Crusaders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Maroons at 4:30 p.m. Althoff Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Althoff Catholic took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They blew past Maryville Christian 13-1. Considering the Crusaders have won seven matchups by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Josh McPherson and Patton Leib dominated on the mound. McPherson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits, while Leib tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. McPherson has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Walter Minton was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Bo Gomric was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Althoff Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are 6-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Belleville West and O'Fallon, and O'Fallon kept the tradition alive. The Maroons fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 7-6 on Thursday. The Maroons' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Chase Boente was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since April 1st.
On the hitting side, Braden Fournie was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Casey Fultz, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Althoff Catholic is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Belleville West, their loss dropped their record down to 11-7.
Althoff Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Belleville West in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-5. Will the Crusaders repeat their success, or do the Maroons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
