The Allentown Central Catholic Vikings are taking a road trip to take on the Freedom Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Allentown Central Catholic will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Allentown Central Catholic had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Marian Catholic on Saturday. Allentown Central Catholic put the hurt on Marian Catholic with a sharp 11-5 win. While the Vikings didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Anthony Grigoli looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Nolan Young and Nicholas Vanfleet did most of the damage at the plate: Young scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4, while Vanfleet scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. That's the most stolen bases Young has posted since back in April of 2024. Michael Martinez was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Freedom had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Rovers.
Matt Heineman looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Colin Andrews was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was his first of the season.
Allentown Central Catholic pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Freedom, their record now sits at 4-1.
Freedom's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Allentown Central Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. It's a different story for Freedom, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Allentown Central Catholic's hitters?
Allentown Central Catholic might still be hurting after the 9-2 defeat they got from Freedom when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Allentown Central Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
