The St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish will challenge the Rootstown Rovers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. St. Vincent-St. Mary has given up an average of 7 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
St. Vincent-St. Mary is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Manchester just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They came up short against the Panthers, falling 11-2.
St. Vincent-St. Mary saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ella Kim, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Rootstown had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Blue Devils with a sharp 19-5 victory. The Rovers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Katie Sisley made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, earning two RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
In other pitching news, Makensea Bittner looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Lilly Kamenash was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Rootstown kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Rootstown's win bumped their record up to 9-4. As for St. Vincent-St. Mary, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Vincent-St. Mary has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rootstown struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
St. Vincent-St. Mary suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Rootstown in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Can the Fighting Irish avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
