Catholic Central is 0-7 against West Liberty-Salem since April of 2016 but things could change on Thursday. The Irish will challenge the Tigers at 5:00 p.m. Neither Catholic Central nor West Liberty-Salem posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Catholic Central managed to slip by Emmanuel Christian Academy the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Irish came up short against the Lions on Wednesday, falling 12-0. The Irish just can't catch a break and have now endured four losses in a row.
Catholic Central saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brody Adams, who went 1-for-2 with one double. That double was Adams' first of the season.
West Liberty-Salem hadn't beaten West Jefferson on the road since April 5, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Wednesday. The Tigers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Roughriders. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Tigers have posted against the Roughriders since April 6, 2021.
Reese Oder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits.
West Liberty-Salem pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Catholic Central, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Catholic Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like West Liberty-Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Catholic Central might still be hurting after the 16-2 defeat they got from West Liberty-Salem when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Irish avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
