The Countryside Christian Minutemen will head out on the road to square off against the St. John Lutheran Saints at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Countryside Christian barely beat First Christian the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Minutemen put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 17-2 win on Tuesday. Winning may never get old, but the Minutemen sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Lucas Gruenwald
| 04/08/25 vs First Christian | 4 |
| 04/07/25 vs Parsons Christian Academy | 3 |
| 04/04/25 vs Meadowbrook Academy | 1 |
| 03/04/25 vs Eastside | 7 |
Clay Dees and Lucas Gruenwald made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Dees pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Gruenwald tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. At bat, Dees scored three runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3, while Gruenwald scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1. Gruenwald is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, Jace Reustle was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Preston Thompson also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Countryside Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, St. John Lutheran made easy work of First Coast Christian on Monday and carried off a 12-1 victory.
Like Countryside Christian, St. John Lutheran also got a great game from a pair of two-way players: Adam Stillwell. On the mound, Stillwell struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Christian Bessoni pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Stillwell scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Bessoni went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Bessoni is becoming a predictor of St. John Lutheran's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-8 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Cooper Gloege was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Luis Roman, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI and one stolen base.
Countryside Christian pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. John Lutheran, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season.
Both Countryside Christian and St. John Lutheran just can't seem to miss. The Minutemen have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. However, it's not like St. John Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.3 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
