For the second straight game, Lutheran will face off against Stillman Valley. The Crusaders will face off against the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lutheran has eight straight victories, Stillman Valley has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Lutheran will bounce into Tuesday's matchup after beating Stillman Valley, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Crusaders' pitcher stepped up to hand the Cardinals a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The Crusaders not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 28th (when they won 12-2).
Bryce Taylor
| 05/05/25 vs Stillman Valley | 4 |
| 04/21/25 @ Genoa-Kingston | 3 |
| 04/10/25 vs Byron | 6 |
Bryce Taylor made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Lutheran let Mason Villafuerte and Nate Ling run wild. Villafuerte went 3-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and one stolen base, while Ling got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one double. Those three doubles gave Villafuerte a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaxson Schwaneneck, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Lutheran always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Stillman Valley only posted an OBP of .211.
Lutheran's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-7. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Stillman Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 6-17.
Lutheran's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's contest. The Crusaders have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Stillman Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lutheran continue to outrun the ball? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
