Softball Game Preview: Shoreland Lutheran Pacers vs. Racine Lutheran Crusaders

The Shoreland Lutheran Pacers will square off against the Racine Lutheran Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Shoreland Lutheran fell victim to Kenosha Tremper and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They came up short against the Trojans, falling 10-0. The Pacers have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Meanwhile, Racine Lutheran waltzed into their contest on Thursday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They never let the Cavaliers get on the board and left with a 9-0 win. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 matchups by six runs or more this season.

Iyana Garza was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024.

Garza wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jordan Ramos, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Another was Madelyn Sadowski, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Racine Lutheran kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in four consecutive games.

Racine Lutheran's victory was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Shoreland Lutheran, their loss dropped their record down to 12-7.

Shoreland Lutheran took their victory against Racine Lutheran in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 13-6 score. Do the Pacers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Crusaders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.