St. John Paul II Catholic came out on top against Heritage Academy on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Lions took their contest against the Heroes 14-10. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Lions also won the last time the pair played back in March of 2025.
James Pierski made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one double.
Pierski wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Carlos Pedroza, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Pedroza has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last four times he's played. Another was Derek Guzman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
St. John Paul II Catholic has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 15.5 runs this season. As for Heritage Academy, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. St. John Paul II Catholic will challenge Antelope at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Heritage Academy, they will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Santa Cruz Valley at 5:30 p.m. on the 16th.