The Liberty Patriots will head out on the road to challenge the St. Joseph Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Liberty is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Buchanan, sneaking past 11-9. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Brogan Witcher was excellent, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2025. Another player making a difference was Gavin Williams, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph entered their tilt with Righetti on Tuesday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against the Warriors. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted against the Warriors since March 28, 2025.
Mason Majewski made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
In other batting news, Santana Covarrubias was a standout: he went 1-for-6 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Robbie Roemling, who went 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
St. Joseph kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive contests.
Liberty's record now sits at 23-7. As for St. Joseph, their record is now 23-5-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Liberty has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Joseph struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Liberty beat St. Joseph 7-3 when the teams last played back in February of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.