The Bishop Shanahan Eagles will take on the Great Valley Patriots at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The last five games Bishop Shanahan has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Bishop Shanahan is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Downingtown East just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Eagles have suffered since April 15, 2024.
Bishop Shanahan saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jake Scott, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. That run was Scott's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Great Valley came tearing into Wednesday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 14-8 margin over the Hornets. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won five matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Colby Curtiss looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Ryan Spiess was incredible, scoring three runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alex Bartlett, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Great Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
Great Valley's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-1. As for Bishop Shanahan, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop Shanahan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Great Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bishop Shanahan couldn't quite get it done against Great Valley in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 9-6. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
