Lane Tech is 8-2 against Von Steuben since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Champions will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. This will be Lane Tech's first chance to prove their worth in the conference.
While Lane Tech's victory against Evanston wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Champions had just enough and edged out the Wildkits 3-2 on Saturday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Charles Lust
Lane Tech got a great performance from Charles Lust as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over 4.2 innings pitched. Lust also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Champions are 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-5 otherwise.
At the plate, Matt Young and Alex Ziegler did most of the damage at the plate: Young scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Ziegler went 1-for-2 with one triple and two RBI. Young also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.
Meanwhile, Von Steuben got themselves on the board against Northside on Thursday, but Northside never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 10-0 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Romeo Ruiz looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kayin Timble was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Rogelio Dominguez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
Von Steuben was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Lane Tech's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Von Steuben, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lane Tech has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Von Steuben struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lane Tech beat Von Steuben 5-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Champions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
