The Ludlowe Falcons will challenge the St. Joseph Cadets at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ludlowe 2.7, St. Joseph 1.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Ludlowe nor Norwalk made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Falcons fell 5-2 to the Bears. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Falcons couldn't push the score so high this time.
Angie Tavella put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Tavella was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Tavella wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Alexa Mills, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI. Gina Solow also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph made easy work of Bridgeport Central on Wednesday and carried off a 16-2 victory. The Cadets haven't had any issues with the Hilltoppers recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
St. Joseph also got a great performance from Adyson Magliocco as she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits.
At the plate, Sophia Rodriguez was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was MacKenzie Caouette, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
St. Joseph always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
St. Joseph's victory was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Ludlowe, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ludlowe has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Joseph struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ludlowe couldn't quite get it done against St. Joseph in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 4-1. Will the Falcons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
