North Mac proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by nine) but on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over the Lutheran Crusaders. That result was just more of the same for these two, as North Mac also won the last time the pair played back in March of 2023.
Aiden Hatalla made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Hatalla was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colin Etter, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
Like North Mac, Lutheran also got a great game from a two-way player: Max Yenchko. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Yenchko has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Yenchko was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Tad Andrews was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3. Matt Hemenway was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Even though they lost, Lutheran was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Mac didn't hit any.
North Mac is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a massive bump to their 7-7 record this season. As for Lutheran, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-9.
North Mac will head out on the road to square off against Gillespie at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Lutheran, they will be playing at home against Cornerstone Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
