Metro-East Lutheran hasn't had much luck against Southwestern recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Knights will challenge the Piasa Birds at 4:30 p.m. Metro-East Lutheran is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Metro-East Lutheran barely beat Marquette Catholic the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Knights put the hurt on the Explorers with a sharp 13-5 win on Tuesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Knights, who have now won three contests in a row.
Lucas Abbott was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Thijson Heard
| 04/14/25 @ East Alton-Wood River | 3 |
| 03/17/25 vs Dupo | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Marquette Catholic | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Marquette Catholic | 2 |
| 04/11/25 vs East St. Louis | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
In other batting news, Thijson Heard and Sammy Huber did most of the damage at the plate: Heard went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Huber went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Heard is becoming a predictor of Metro-East Lutheran's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-7 when he doesn't). Jacob Kober was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Southwestern unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Saturday. They took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly.
Southwestern saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Lowis, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Another was Ike Austin, who went 1-for-3 with two runs.
Metro-East Lutheran's record now sits at 12-7. As for Southwestern, their loss dropped their record down to 7-13.
Southwestern's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Metro-East Lutheran has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Southwestern, though, as they've only averaged .363. Will they be able to contain Metro-East Lutheran's hitters?
Metro-East Lutheran couldn't quite finish off Southwestern in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
