vs
| 03/26/24 - Away | 15-4 W |
| 03/28/23 - Home | 6-5 W |
| 05/02/22 - Home | 14-0 W |
| 05/23/15 - Away | 5-2 W |
Homestead is a perfect 4-0 against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Spartans will welcome the Knights at 4:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
Homestead took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand McCutcheon a 9-0 shutout. The Spartans not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since May 9th (when they won 10-0).
Homestead got a great performance from Ryne Michaeloff as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Michaeloff has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Shane Bardwell, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Gray Stockwell, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers entered their tilt with Fort Wayne North Side on Thursday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They put the hurt on the Legends with a sharp 20-0 win.
Anthony Antonuccio made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Antonuccio was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Christian Brell and Jaxson Hill did most of the damage at the plate: Brell got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Hill went 1-for-2 with three RBI and two runs. Cooper Peters was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matches.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers' victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-9. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Homestead, their victory bumped their record up to 20-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Homestead has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fort Wayne Bishop Luers struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Homestead took their win against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 15-4 score. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
