St. Francis and Big Lake are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Fighting Saints are taking a road trip to face off against the Hornets at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. St. Francis will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Big Lake's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: St. Francis hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Fighting Saints never let Mound-Westonka get on the board and left with a 3-0 win on Wednesday.
Cooper Fiskewold
| 04/16/25 vs Mound-Westonka | 8 |
| 05/02/24 @ Princeton | 9 |
Cooper Fiskewold was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run.
Fiskewold wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Owen Lamson, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. That stolen base was Lamson's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Big Lake hadn't done well against Monticello recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Hornets narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Magic 6-5. The win was nothing new for the Hornets as they're now sitting on three straight.
Jackson LaRoche was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two doubles. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Cusick, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Big Lake's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average this season. As for St. Francis, their record now sits at 4-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Francis has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Big Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. Francis couldn't quite get it done against Big Lake when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Fighting Saints avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
