The DeKalb Barons are taking a road trip to square off against the Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran Cadets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
DeKalb fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 8-7. The Barons have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
DeKalb got a massive performance out of Serena Wineland, who went 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and one RBI. Those triples were Wineland's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashley Cox, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two doubles.
Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since May 13, 2024 (when they won 13-1). They blew past Angola 13-2. The game was the first time the Cadets have beaten the Hornets on their field since April 17, 2017.
Haley Hoffman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (five). She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Reagan Vowles was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Molly Towne, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI and one run.
Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for DeKalb, they suffered their first home defeat, dropping their record down to 4-3.
DeKalb's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Barons have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will DeKalb continue to outrun the ball?
DeKalb beat Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran 7-2 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Barons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
