Catholic Central is 2-8 against Racine Lutheran since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Hilltoppers will venture away from home to take on the Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. Catholic Central will be strutting in after a victory while Racine Lutheran will be coming in after a defeat.
Catholic Central gave up the first runs on Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against Lake Country Lutheran by a score of 11-6. That's two games straight that the Hilltoppers have won by exactly five runs.
Jenna Pechous made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Pechous was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Molly Brauer, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Avery Bauer, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Racine Lutheran entered their game against Racine Case on Saturday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Crusaders fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 5-4.
Like Catholic Central, Racine Lutheran also got a great game from a two-way player: Iyana Garza. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up five earned runs off eight hits. Garza has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two triples and two runs.
Garza wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Adeline Gasau, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Gasau is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.
The win made it two in a row for Catholic Central and bumps their season record up to 3-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Racine Lutheran, the loss was their first at home , dropping their record down to 8-2.
Everything went Catholic Central's way against Racine Lutheran when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Catholic Central made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hilltoppers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
