The Park Tudor Panthers will challenge the Roncalli Royals at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Park Tudor 3.9, Roncalli 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Guerin Catholic hit Park Tudor with a four-run sixth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers fell 10-7 to the Golden Eagles. The defeat continues a trend for the Panthers in their meetings with the Golden Eagles: they've now lost six in a row.
Desmond Francis was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Jack Clarke, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Roncalli made sure to put some runs up on the board against Avon on Monday. The Royals sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 12-10 win over the Orioles. The Royals haven't had any issues with the Orioles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Roncalli let Collin Ash and Gio Ardizzone run wild. Ash went 4-for-5 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI, while Ardizzone got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Ash has been hot for a while, having posted at least one stolen base the last 12 times he's played. Dominic Cromer also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Roncalli kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They got five more hits than Avon's also-impressive total of 12.
Park Tudor's loss dropped their record down to 13-3. As for Roncalli, their win bumped their record up to 16-3.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Park Tudor has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .497. However, it's not like Roncalli struggles in that department as they've averaged .513. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
