The Faith Lutheran Crusaders will challenge the Centennial Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Faith Lutheran is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Basic, who was ranked first at the time (Faith Lutheran was ranked tenth). The Crusaders sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over the Wolves on Friday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Jordan Watkins
| 04/08/25 @ Palo Verde | 8 |
| 03/12/25 vs Red Mountain | 6 |
| 03/05/25 vs Liberty | 4 |
| 02/27/25 vs Lake Travis | 4 |
| 04/17/25 vs Bakersfield Christian | 2 |
Jordan Watkins tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Faith Lutheran is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 12-13 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Rouselle Shepard was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Eli Leone was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Faith Lutheran kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Centennial, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They never let Spring Valley get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Bulldogs have won 11 matches by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Centennial also got a great performance from Gabriel Soto as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. Soto has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tyler Jackson, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Marco Perez, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Faith Lutheran's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-13. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Centennial, their win bumped their record up to 18-11.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Faith Lutheran hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Faith Lutheran's way against Centennial in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Faith Lutheran made off with an 8-1 victory. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
