The Loretto Mustangs will venture away from home to take on the Scotts Hill Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Loretto put up the most points they have all season on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Battle Creek a 10-0 shutout. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
The team relied heavily on Grayson Burleson, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Jayden Aaron also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Loretto always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .542. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Scotts Hill faced off against Riverside on Tuesday. The Lions were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Panthers. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won three in a row.
Chandler Crider made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Scotts Hill's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 0-11-1 when he doesn't).
In other pitching news, Scotts Hill got a great performance from Jonas Howard as he pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
Back at the plate, Brady Beecham was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. He has become a key player for Scotts Hill: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-10-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Cy Maness, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
The win made it two in a row for Loretto and bumps their season record up to 4-10. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Scotts Hill, their record now sits at 4-11-1.
Loretto took their win against Scotts Hill in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-1 score. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
