Lutheran started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Palmer Ridge. They fell just short of the Palmer Ridge Bears by a score of 9-8 on Thursday. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Lutheran in their matchups with Palmer Ridge: they've now lost three in a row.
Asher Clark was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Drew McNear was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Wade Thewes, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Lutheran was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palmer Ridge only posted a batting average of .185.
On Palmer Ridge's side, Sergio Melendez was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Melendez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Weaver, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jake Ankrum, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Lutheran's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-7-1. As for Palmer Ridge, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 8-9.
Lutheran will head out on the road to square off against Air Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Palmer Ridge, they will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Cherry Creek at 2:00 p.m. The last three games Palmer Ridge has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
