The Litchfield Purple Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Althoff Catholic Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Litchfield's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Althoff Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Litchfield gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with an 8-4 victory over Carlinville. The win continues a trend for the Purple Panthers in their matchups with the Cavaliers: they've now won three in a row.
Ethan Saathoff
| 04/15/25 @ Carlinville | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Lena-Winslow | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs Lanphier | 3 |
Ethan Saathoff made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Saathoff was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases he has posted over his last three matchups.
In other batting news, Titan Hires and Mathew Bywater did most of the damage at the plate: Hires went 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI, while Bywater scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Hires has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Althoff Catholic came into Tuesday's contest having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They won by a run and slipped past St. Louis HomeSchool P 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Crusaders have posted since March 20th.
Althoff Catholic also got a great performance from Dale Parker as he pitched six innings while giving up just two earned runs off nine hits. Parker has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cooper Zimmer, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double and one RBI. Bo Gomric was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Litchfield's record is now 12-5. As for Althoff Catholic, their record now sits at 10-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Litchfield has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Althoff Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
