The Lutheran Crusaders will challenge the Winnebago Indians at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lutheran is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
While Lutheran's victory against Dixon wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Crusaders narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Dukes & Duchesses 9-7.
Jake Guse
| 05/13/25 vs Dixon | 10 |
| 04/25/25 vs Rock Falls | 5 |
| 03/18/25 @ Durand/Pecatonica | 4 |
| 04/15/25 @ Rock Falls | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs Belvidere North | 3 |
Jake Guse and Nate Ling made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Guse struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Ling pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those ten strikeouts gave Guse a new career-high. At bat, Guse went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Ling got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Ling is becoming a predictor of Lutheran's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-8 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mason Villafuerte, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Gaven Metcalf was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Winnebago had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Rockford Christian an 8-0 shutout on Monday. The game was the first time the Indians have beaten the Royal Lions on their field since June 8, 2021.
Lutheran is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Winnebago, their win bumped their record up to 9-20.
Lutheran came out on top in a nail-biter against Winnebago in their previous matchup two weeks ago, sneaking past 7-6. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
