Lutheran West dropped down to 5-8-1 on Thursday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins. They came up short against the Independence Blue Devils, falling 10-4. If the Longhorns were looking for revenge after losing 2-1 to the Blue Devils when the teams met back in April of 2025, then they'll just have to keep looking.
Victor Rodriguez
| 04/20/26 vs Perry | 5 |
| 04/30/26 @ Independence | 1 |
| 04/17/26 vs Beachwood | 1 |
| 04/09/26 @ West Geauga | 1 |
Victor Rodriguez put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Lutheran West is 3-1 when Rodriguez allows one or fewer hits, but 2-7-1 otherwise. Rodriguez was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Rodriguez wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Keniel Laguer, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Laguer has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
As for Independence, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 10-3. Considering they have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
On Independence's side, Kaden Schuette spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Independence got a big performance out of Anderson Jolliffe, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Anthony Sobonya, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Lutheran West will square off against Orange at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The Lions have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 6.82 runs per game on average), something the Longhorns will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Independence, they will take on Keystone at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
