Lutheran hadn't done well against Dixon recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Crusaders narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Dukes & Duchesses 9-7. The Crusaders have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Dukes & Duchesses, too.
Nate Ling
| 05/05/25 vs Stillman Valley | 3 |
| 04/22/25 vs Genoa-Kingston | 3 |
| 04/15/25 @ Rock Falls | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs Belvidere North | 3 |
| 05/13/25 vs Dixon | 2 |
| + 10 more games |
Jake Guse and Nate Ling were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Guse struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Ling pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Guse went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Ling got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Ling has become a key player for Lutheran: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mason Villafuerte, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Gaven Metcalf was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Lutheran has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Dixon, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 12-9.
Coming up, Lutheran will be playing at home against Winnebago at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Dixon will be paying especially close attention to the Crusaders' game: after the Crusaders face off against the Indians, they'll take on Dixon again at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
