SPRINGFIELD, MO -- The '22 Irish haven't exactly taken the easy route to their current 8-6 record. The Class 3 Irish have faced five Class 6 teams, two Class 5 teams, and eight state-ranked programs to date. This schedule wasn't easy but is starting to pay dividends.

Since returning from the Bishop Kelley Festival in Tulsa, OK; the team has run off three impressive wins against Strafford (Class 3 #3), Aurora, and now Hollister (Class 4 #6). The Irish hadn't won in Aurora since 2014 and the team had not beaten Hollister since the 2019 MSHSAA District championship game. 

Tonight's contest featured two Big 8 rivals that last faced off in the 2021 MSHSAA Class 4 state quarterfinal. The Hollister Tigers won that contest but this year would be a different story.

Hollister came out in the top of the first, taking advantage of a HBP and a driving in that run with a hard grounder to center. The Tigers would add another run in the second after consecutive Irish errors. The Irish would answer in the 2nd, adding two runs after a Ben Ruter single, followed by a Colton Galligos pop fly and a Cole Leonhart single. The two pitchers would settle in and Catholic's Ben Smith would dominate the Hollister batters through the next 5 innings, racking up 12 strike-outs while only yielding 1 hit in the contest. 

Jack Schoen got aboard with a line drive in the bottom of the 7th and the Tigers went to the bullpen to bring in Clay Kemp to close out the contest. Ben Smith would reach after wearing a 2-2 breaking ball. Coleman Morrison kept the inning moving by drawing a walk to load the bases. This brought Logan Ripper to the plate who sat on a first pitch fastball and walked it off with an RBI single to left field.

The win brought the Irish to 8-6 and put them in the driver's seat in the Big 8 Conference. The Irish will now face off against rival Logan-Rogersville this Thursday at Rogersville.