The Lincoln Prep Lightning will face off against the Superior Panthers at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lincoln Prep's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Gilbert Classical Academy with a sharp 10-0 win. With that victory, the Lightning brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Finn Dilley made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Lincoln Prep is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 1-5-1 otherwise. Dilley was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Cash Luce
| 03/26/25 @ North Valley Christian Academy | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Gilbert Classical Academy | 2 |
| 03/21/25 @ Miami | 2 |
| 03/05/25 vs Glendale Prep Academy | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs ALA - Ironwood | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cash Luce, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Lincoln Prep: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-5-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Platt, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Lincoln Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Superior made sure to put some runs up on the board against Maryvale Prep on Thursday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 19-3 margin over the Matador. With that win, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Antonio Lopez was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Joel Romero was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3. Brandon Ramirez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Superior's victory bumped their record up to 7-5. As for Lincoln Prep, their win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-6-1.
Lincoln Prep's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's game. The Lightning have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Superior, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lincoln Prep continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Lincoln Prep's way against Superior when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Lincoln Prep made off with an 11-2 victory. Do the Lightning have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
