Southwest Covenant is 0-4 against Luther since March of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Patriots will face off against the Lions at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Southwest Covenant barely beat Wayne the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Patriots' pitcher stepped up to hand the Bulldogs an 8-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Patriots haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Gavyn Beshears was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Southwest Covenant is 4-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-5 otherwise. Beshears was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Tate Flanary
| 04/08/25 @ Wayne | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs Wayne | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Destiny Christian | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Christian Heritage | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tate Flanary, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Southwest Covenant's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-7 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Evan Beshears, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Luther can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Monday. They came out on top against Hinton by a score of 7-2.
Like Southwest Covenant, Luther also got a great game from a two-way player: Aden Henke. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Henke has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Luther got a big performance out of Brody Becker, who scored a run while going 1-for-5. Esteban C was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Luther kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hinton only managed four hits.
Luther's record now sits at 9-7. As for Southwest Covenant, the win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 5-7.
Southwest Covenant's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Patriots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Luther, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Southwest Covenant continue to outrun the ball?
Southwest Covenant might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Luther when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
