The Von Steuben Panthers will take on the Niles Notre Dame Dons at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Von Steuben's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Niles Notre Dame has been banged up by eight consecutive losses on the road.
Von Steuben had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Northside on Thursday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 13-4 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Axel Rivera and Wade Miley made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Rivera struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Miley pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. At bat, Rivera got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Miley went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs Rivera has posted since back in April.
In other pitching news, Romeo Ruiz looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.
Matteo Banuelos
| 05/03/25 vs Brooks | 3 |
| 05/22/25 vs Northside | 2 |
| 05/19/25 @ Jones | 2 |
| 05/12/25 vs Agricultural Science | 2 |
| 04/18/25 @ Taft | 2 |
| + 12 more games |
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Matteo Banuelos, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Von Steuben's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 11-13-3 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Johnston, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Von Steuben always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Northside only posted an OBP of .276.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Niles Notre Dame). They blew past Marian Catholic 19-4 on Saturday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Dons with their most commanding win of the season.
Max Santana was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. John Greifelt was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Von Steuben's win bumped their record up to 18-13-3. As for Niles Notre Dame, their victory bumped their record up to 10-18-1.
