Bishop Kenny is a perfect 5-0 against St. Augustine since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Crusaders will face off against the Yellow Jackets at 6:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Bishop Kenny is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Yulee with a sharp 12-1 win. The Crusaders' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Daly Stephens
| 02/20/26 @ Fernandina Beach | 4 |
| 04/15/26 vs Yulee | 1 |
| 04/08/26 @ Columbia | 1 |
| 04/01/26 vs St. Johns Country Day | 1 |
| 03/24/26 vs Oakleaf | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Daly Stephens looked comfortable as he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Bishop Kenny is 7-2 when Stephens allows one or fewer earned runs, but 7-10 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Bishop Kenny let Henry Dillard and Braxton Dowdle run wild. Dillard went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Dowdle went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI. That's the most RBI Dillard has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Andres Diaz, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Bishop Kenny always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, St. Augustine narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Menendez 14-13. The Yellow Jackets haven't had any issues with the Falcons recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Drew O'Quinn and Maddux Dowler made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, O'Quinn kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over 5.2 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Dowler pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. At bat, O'Quinn got on base in five of his seven plate appearances with two doubles and one RBI, while Dowler went 2-for-6 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, St. Augustine got a massive performance out of Caiden Smith, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one double. That home run was Smith's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiah Vargas, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Bishop Kenny's victory bumped their record up to 14-12. As for St. Augustine, their win bumped their record up to an identical 14-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop Kenny has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Augustine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bishop Kenny was able to grind out a solid victory over St. Augustine when the teams last played back in April of 2025, winning 6-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
