Cardinal Hayes is 0-10 against Iona Prep since April of 2017 but things could change on Tuesday. The Cardinals will be playing at home against the Gaels at 4:15 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cardinal Hayes is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Monsignor Scanlan with a sharp 7-1 victory on Monday.
The team relied heavily on Chris Valdez, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Cepeda, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Iona Prep, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Mt. St. Michael Academy a 2-0 shutout on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Gaels have posted since March 19th.
Mt. St. Michael Academy's batters probably weren't too happy with Shane Jelenevsky, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 16 Ks (he gave up a single walk). Those 16 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Jelenevsky.
On the hitting side, Devin Diaz was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Sean Concannon, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Iona Prep pushed their record up to 8-4-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Cardinal Hayes, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cardinal Hayes has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Iona Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cardinal Hayes came up short against Iona Prep in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 4-1. Will the Cardinals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
