The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers will take on the Maple River Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Minnesota Valley Lutheran had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial on Tuesday. The Chargers were the clear victors by a 9-3 margin over the Knights.
Kyan Kube and Kaden Peterson were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Kube pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Peterson struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. At bat, Kube scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Peterson scored a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Minnesota Valley Lutheran let Brennan Bendix and Connor Bode run wild. Bendix scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Bode scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most runs Bode has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Vander Plas, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Meanwhile, Maple River strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They never let Le Sueur-Henderson get on the board and left with a 3-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Gavin Halvorson's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up 15 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jackson Vait, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Minnesota Valley Lutheran's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Maple River, their record now sits at 3-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Minnesota Valley Lutheran has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Maple River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 14 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Minnesota Valley Lutheran couldn't quite finish off Maple River when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can the Chargers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
