The Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders will challenge the Wakefield Wolverines at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Cardinal Gibbons beats Wakefield with seven runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Cardinal Gibbons beat Hamden Hall Country Day on Thursday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Cardinal Gibbons got a great performance from Owen Hines as he pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Hines has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Cam Tarkenton
| 03/13/25 vs Hamden Hall Country Day | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Jordan | 1 |
| 03/03/25 @ Willow Spring | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Riverside-Durham | 1 |
| 02/25/25 vs Corinth Holders | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cam Tarkenton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two RBI. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases. Damon Phillips was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 1-for-3.
Cardinal Gibbons hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Wakefield's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Thursday. They never let Athens Drive get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. With that win, the Wolverines brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Ethan Wisler was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Wisler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Wakefield let Thomas Piscorik and Mikey Katz run wild. Piscorik scored a run while going 1-for-2, while Katz scored a run while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Evan Genao, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Wakefield pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Cardinal Gibbons, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Cardinal Gibbons' speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. Cardinal Gibbons has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Wakefield, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Cardinal Gibbons continue to outrun the ball?
Cardinal Gibbons couldn't quite finish off Wakefield when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 3-1. Will Cardinal Gibbons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
