The John Carroll Patriots will venture away from home to face off against the Mount de Sales Academy Sailors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. John Carroll is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
John Carroll proved they can win big on Friday (they won by nine) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past McDonogh 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Patriots have posted against the Eagles since March 29, 2018.
Emily Hildt spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, John Carroll saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Billi Heinz, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Mount de Sales Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Catholic on Wednesday, taking the game 9-6. The Sailors haven't had any issues with Catholic recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Kat Wright and Maya Schipske did most of the damage at the plate: Wright got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Schipske went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits Schipske has posted since back in April of 2024. Olivia Berger also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
John Carroll is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Mount de Sales Academy, their record is now 13-6.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. John Carroll hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. However, it's not like Mount de Sales Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
John Carroll came up short against Mount de Sales Academy in their previous meeting back in April, falling 12-8. Can the Patriots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
