The Luther Prep Phoenix are taking a road trip to square off against the Catholic Central Hilltoppers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Luther Prep is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
On Thursday, Luther Prep got the win against Living Word Lutheran by a conclusive 9-1. Considering the Phoenix have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Addy Schmidt
| 05/08/25 vs Living Word Lutheran | 5 |
| 05/06/25 vs Catholic Central | 5 |
| 05/05/25 @ Shoreland Lutheran | 6 |
| 04/29/25 vs Brookfield Academy | 6 |
| 04/24/25 vs St. Francis | 10 |
| + 2 more games |
Addy Schmidt and Kiara Humann were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Schmidt tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Humann didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Schmidt has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. At the plate, Schmidt went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one triple, while Humann went 2-for-4 with one run. That triple marked the first that Schmidt has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Arabella Timm, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one run and one double. Grace Biebert also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three match, Catholic Central brought some dynamite into their most recent game. They were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over St. Francis on Thursday. The Hilltoppers have beaten the Mariners the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Mariners has come to flipping the script.
Like Luther Prep, Catholic Central also got a great game from a pair of two-way players: Jenna Pechous. Throwing, Pechous pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Isabella Gratton struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. At bat, Pechous went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Gratton went 3-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base. Those three hits gave Gratton a new career-high.
In other batting news, Molly Brauer was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Marlowe Wilson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double.
Catholic Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .632. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Luther Prep pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Catholic Central, their record now sits at 4-7.
Catholic Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Luther Prep has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for Catholic Central, though, as they've been averaging 9.8 hits. Given Luther Prep's sizable advantage in that area, the Hilltoppers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Luther Prep took their victory against Catholic Central in their previous matchup on Tuesday by a conclusive 12-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Phoenix since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
