The Illinois Lutheran Chargers will head out to square off against the Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Illinois Lutheran is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Illinois Lutheran is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Momence just ended the team's seven-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 10-6 to the Momence Athletics.
Lola Spada
| 05/08/25 vs Momence | 9 |
| 05/06/25 @ Momence | 6 |
| 05/05/25 vs St. Anne | 5 |
| 04/30/25 @ Thornton Fractional South | 5 |
Lola Spada put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and seven unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Alissia Sanchez made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with four stolen bases and three runs. Emma Nagle was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, Gardner-South Wilmington had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Cardinals. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won ten contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Illinois Lutheran, Gardner-South Wilmington also got a great game from a two-way player: Jo Male. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. Male was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in both of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kayla Scheuber, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maddie Simms, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles.
Gardner-South Wilmington hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive games.
Gardner-South Wilmington's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-9. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Illinois Lutheran, their loss dropped their record down to 11-9.
Illinois Lutheran's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. The Chargers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gardner-South Wilmington, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Illinois Lutheran continue to outrun the ball? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
