The Lena-Winslow Panthers will take on the Alleman Pioneers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Lena-Winslow sitting on four straight wins and Alleman on three.
Lena-Winslow barely beat River Ridge/Scales Mound the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Lena-Winslow's pitcher stepped up to hand River Ridge/Scales Mound a 10-0 shutout on Wednesday. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by seven runs or more this season.
Maverick Cass
| 03/26/25 vs River Ridge/Scales Mound | 3 |
| 03/24/25 @ Morrison | 2 |
| 05/18/24 vs Lutheran | 2 |
| 05/15/24 vs South Beloit | 2 |
| 04/23/24 @ Durand/Pecatonica | 2 |
Maverick Cass made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Madigan, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Landon Grindey was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Lena-Winslow always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as River Ridge/Scales Mound only posted an OBP of .286.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Alleman and Rockridge meet (six straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. Alleman was the clear victor by a 17-4 margin over Rockridge. The matchup marked the Pioneers' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Adam VanMeighem looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits.
On the hitting side, Anthony Clark was a standout: he scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Those runs marked the first that he scored this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Awbrey, who scored three runs while going 3-for-4.
Lena-Winslow's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Alleman, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lena-Winslow hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .389. However, it's not like Alleman struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lena-Winslow skirted past Alleman 8-7 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Will Lena-Winslow repeat their success, or does Alleman has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
