Ballard hadn't done well against O'Dea recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Beavers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Fighting Irish a 4-0 shutout. This was a revenge game for the Beavers: when they faced off against the Fighting Irish last Monday, they had to take a 1-0 defeat.
Aiden DePaula
| 04/02/25 @ O'Dea | 9 |
| 03/19/25 vs Shorecrest | 6 |
| 03/27/25 @ Seattle Prep | 4 |
| 04/22/24 vs Franklin | 1 |
Aiden DePaula made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
DePaula wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Fischer Witt, who scored a run while going 1-for-4. Joey Thee also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Ballard's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for O'Dea, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season.
Ballard will head out on the road to challenge Ingraham at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The Beavers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Rams have averaged an impressive 11.6 runs per game this season. As for O'Dea, they will be playing at home against Seattle Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The Cardinals will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something the Fighting Irish surely won't give up without a fight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
