The Althoff Catholic Crusaders are taking a road trip to challenge the Roxana Shells at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Althoff Catholic will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Althoff Catholic's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Maryville Christian with a sharp 17-0 victory. That 17 run margin sets a new team best for the Crusaders this season.
Alec Underwood
| 04/22/25 @ Maryville Christian | 7 |
| 03/18/25 vs East St. Louis | 4 |
| 04/09/25 @ Gibault Catholic | 3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Westminster Christian | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs First Assembly Christian | 1 |
Alec Underwood looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cooper Zimmer, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Zach Winkeler also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Althoff Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Breese Central hit Roxana with a five-run third inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Shells took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cougars. The Shells have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Bradley Herrin was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sean Maberry made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Althoff Catholic's record now sits at 12-9. As for Roxana, their loss dropped their record down to 13-5-1.
Roxana's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Althoff Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .467. It's a different story for Roxana, though, as they've only averaged .358. Will they be able to contain Althoff Catholic's hitters?
Althoff Catholic came up short against Roxana when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 4-0. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
