The Canisius Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Nichols Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Canisius came up short against Hamburg and fell 10-7.
David Barczak made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple. That triple was his first of the season. David Cloyd was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Nichols hadn't done well against St. Francis recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Vikings' pitcher stepped up to hand the Red Raiders an 11-0 shutout. The victory was nothing new for the Vikings as they're now sitting on five straight.
Ross Yoshida made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Dominic Bernardone was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and three runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kasey Kohler, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one stolen base.
Nichols always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Francis only posted an OBP of .286.
Nichols' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Canisius, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Canisius has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .477. However, it's not like Nichols struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Canisius beat Nichols 6-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
