Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond and Arcola are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Knights will welcome the Purple Riders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond let St. Thomas More stack four runs on them in the sixth inning on Tuesday but luckily Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond prevailed anyway. The Knights walked away with an 8-4 victory over the Sabers. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Knights.
Calahan Binion was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
Lucas Butcher
| 04/29/25 @ St. Thomas More | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Heritage | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Cumberland | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Tuscola | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Central A & M | 1 |
In other batting news, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond got a big performance out of Lucas Butcher, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Butcher a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Marcus Otto, who went 1-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Arcola put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They never let Cerro Gordo/Bement get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. Considering the Purple Riders have won 13 matchups by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, Arcola also got a great game from a two-way player: Brody Drake. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. Drake was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Brevyn Whisman was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Jackson Griffith was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Arcola always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cerro Gordo/Bement only posted an OBP of .250.
Arcola's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-0. As for Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Arcola struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Arcola in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Knights have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
