The Pacelli Cardinals are taking a road trip to take on the Auburndale Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Pacelli will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
Pacelli is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Bonduel a 1-0 shutout. That's two games straight that the Cardinals have won by just one run.
Not much got past Amelia Martini, who gave up just six hits and racked up 12 Ks to keep Bonduel off the board. Martini has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Pacelli's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Avery Wavrunek, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Meanwhile, Auburndale's hitters rose to the challenge against a Wolverines pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.03 runs allowed on Thursday. The Eagles put the hurt on Crivitz with a sharp 11-1 victory. Considering the Eagles have won 16 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Morgan Griesbach made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Griesbach was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Danika Blomberg was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, three doubles, and one run. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Lily Bellanti was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Auburndale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Crivitz only posted an OBP of .368.
Pacelli's record now sits at 19-4-1. As for Auburndale, their record is now 21-5.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pacelli hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Auburndale struggles in that department as they've averaged .375. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Pacelli's way against Auburndale in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, as Pacelli made off with an 11-5 win. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
