For the second straight game, Marin Catholic will face off against Novato. The Wildcats will be playing at home against the Hornets at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Marin Catholic has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while Novato will come in with four straight victories.
Marin Catholic will face Novato after dropping another heartbreaker against Novato on Tuesday, which marked the second time in a row the team's come within 2.1 of beating them. The Wildcats came up short against the Hornets, falling 11-1. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Wildcats, who until this game were averaging 3.95 runs allowed.
For Novato's part, JP Harmon made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Harmon has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dominic Scafani, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Gio Castaing, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Novato's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-8. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Marin Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Marin Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Novato struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
