The Lane Tech Champions are taking a road trip to challenge the Loyola Academy Ramblers at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Lane Tech is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Lane Tech easily dispatched Northside on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Champions fell just short of Taft by a score of 5-3 on Saturday. The Champions' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Hannah Roeder was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Brobson, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Loyola Academy entered their tilt with Saint Viator on Monday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Lions. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Ramblers have posted since April 23, 2024.
Hunter Lewis made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024.
Lewis wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Emilia Bartholomew, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Bartholomew has snagged this season. Leanna Keller was another, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Loyola Academy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Loyola Academy pushed their record up to 10-15 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Lane Tech, their loss dropped their record down to 18-11.
Loyola Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lane Tech hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .351. It's a different story for Loyola Academy, though, as they've only averaged .234. Will they be able to contain Lane Tech's hitters?
Lane Tech came up short against Loyola Academy in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 3-0. Can the Champions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
