The Dakota Indians will face off against the Lutheran Crusaders at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Lutheran will be up against a hot Dakota squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Indians had just enough and edged out Ashton-Franklin Center 7-5.
Braxton Mazurkiewicz
| 03/21/25 @ Marian Central Catholic | 4 |
| 05/08/25 @ Orangeville | 3 |
| 04/30/25 @ East Dubuque | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Durand/Pecatonica | 3 |
| 05/14/25 @ Ashton-Franklin Center | 2 |
| + 12 more games |
Braxton Mazurkiewicz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Dakota's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 10-2 (and 7-10 when he doesn't).
Mazurkiewicz wasn't the only one making solid contact as eight players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Braxton Niedermeier, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Another was Brayden Larson, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Dakota kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 11-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Lutheran hadn't done well against Dixon recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Crusaders skirted past the Dukes & Duchesses 5-3. The win continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Dukes & Duchesses: they've now won three in a row.
The team relied heavily on Logan Curington, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Mason Villafuerte was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Lutheran pushed their record up to 16-9 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Dakota, their victory bumped their record up to 17-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Dakota has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
