Softball Recap: Lake Country Lutheran Takes a Loss

Lake Country Lutheran had lost three straight on the road, but on Tuesday they dropped their record down to 4-11 to make it four. They came up short against the Luther Prep Phoenix, falling 9-2. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Phoenix this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 9-3 back in April.

Ava Budnik made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double.

As for Luther Prep, the victory was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 9-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games.

On Luther Prep's side, Addy Schmidt made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. Schmidt has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Myah Pederson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Kiara Humann, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Looking ahead, Lake Country Lutheran will look to defend their home field on Thursday against St. Francis at 4:30 p.m. The Mariners have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 10.59 runs per game on average), something the Lightning will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Luther Prep, they will head out to take on Brookfield Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.