The Leo Lions will take on the East Noble Knights at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Leo is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11 runs per game this season.
Leo is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Garrett. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Railroaders: they've now won seven in a row.
Landon Ruoff
| 05/28/25 vs Garrett | 7 |
| 05/23/25 vs DeKalb | 8 |
| 05/15/25 @ Columbia City | 7 |
| 05/06/25 vs East Noble | 6 |
| 04/29/25 @ Norwell | 5 |
| 04/23/25 vs Fremont | 7 |
Landon Ruoff made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with four RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Ethan Wudy and Dominic Rennecker did most of the damage at the plate: Wudy went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Rennecker went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double. Nolan Butcher was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs.
Leo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive games.
Meanwhile, East Noble waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Eagles 3-1.
East Noble's win was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Deegan Munk, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another was Cole Strick, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one RBI.
East Noble's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-9. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Leo, their record is now 21-5.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Leo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like East Noble struggles in that department as they've averaged .355. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Leo took their victory against East Noble in their previous meeting on May 6th by a conclusive 9-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
