The Marquette Catholic Explorers will take on the Calhoun Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Marquette Catholic has given up an average of 9.4 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Marquette Catholic came up short against O'Fallon on Saturday, falling 16-7. The loss continues a trend for the Explorers in their meetings with the Panthers: they've now lost four in a row.
Jayla Dickson was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kennedy Eveans, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Calhoun never got on the board in their matchup on Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against West Central co-op [Winchester-Bluffs] on Monday. They were the clear victors by an 18-1 margin over the Cougars. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won seven matchups by nine runs or more so far this season.
Calhoun got a massive performance out of Conely Klocke, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Klocke a new career-high. Annie Wilson was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Calhoun kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Central co-op [Winchester-Bluffs] only managed five hits.
Calhoun's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Marquette Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
Marquette Catholic's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Explorers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Calhoun, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Marquette Catholic continue to outrun the ball?
Marquette Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Calhoun when the teams last played back in April of 2022 as they fell 4-1. Can the Explorers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
