Irish
| 04/28/26 vs Lumen Christi Catholic | 3 |
| 04/28/26 vs Lumen Christi Catholic | 4 |
| 04/24/26 vs Ursuline Academy | 15 |
| 04/23/26 @ University Liggett | 15 |
| 04/23/26 vs University Liggett | 5 |
| + 11 more games |
The Central Catholic Irish will challenge the Marian Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Central Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Central Catholic is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Lumen Christi Catholic just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. The two teams finished up on equal footing with a 3-3 tie.
Marian never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against St. Catherine of Siena Academy on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Athletes with a sharp 17-2 victory. The contest marked the Mustangs' most dominant win of the season.
Vivienne Vaupel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. Those six strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Marian got a massive performance out of Ava Hierlihy, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Hierlihy a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Gracie Griffis, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Marian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .634. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Marian's victory ended a nine-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-10. Central Catholic's tie gives them a new season record of 11-4-1.
Marian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Central Catholic has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Marian, though, as they've been averaging 11.2 hits. Given Central Catholic's sizable advantage in that area, the Mustangs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Central Catholic got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in May of 2025 against Marian by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Irish repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
