The St. John Lutheran Saints will take on the Countryside Christian Minutemen in a tournament on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
St. John Lutheran's tournament run continued when they took on First Coast Christian on Monday. The Saints were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Knights.
Christian Bessoni
| 02/21/25 @ Ocala Christian | 5 |
| 03/03/25 @ Cedar Key | 4 |
| 04/07/25 @ First Coast Christian | 3 |
| 03/04/25 vs Ocala Christian | 3 |
| 02/11/25 vs Peniel Baptist Academy | 3 |
| + 8 more games |
Adam Stillwell and Christian Bessoni were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Stillwell struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Bessoni pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Stillwell has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Stillwell scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Bessoni went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Bessoni has become a key player for St. John Lutheran: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cooper Gloege, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Luis Roman, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI and one stolen base.
St. John Lutheran always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Countryside Christian entered their tilt with First Christian on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Lions 17-2. Countryside Christian's victory was all the more impressive since the Lions were averaging only three runs allowed on the season.
Clay Dees and Lucas Gruenwald made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Dees pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Gruenwald pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Dees scored three runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3, while Gruenwald scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Jace Reustle was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Tristan Weathers, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Countryside Christian's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. John Lutheran, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. John Lutheran has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Countryside Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. John Lutheran skirted past Countryside Christian 9-8 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will the Saints repeat their success, or do the Minutemen have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
