Crusaders
| 04/30/25 vs St. Croix Prep | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Brooklyn Center | 9 |
| 04/25/25 vs Concordia Academy | 6 |
| 04/21/25 vs Nova Classical Academy | 12 |
| 04/16/25 vs New Life Academy | 8 |
| + 3 more games |
St. Croix Lutheran is 2-8 against New Life Academy since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Crusaders are taking a road trip to square off against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. St. Croix Lutheran is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
St. Croix Lutheran took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against St. Croix Prep, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Crusaders sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Lions on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
St. Croix Lutheran's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Noah Little, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Little has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
Meanwhile, New Life Academy entered their tilt with Mayer Lutheran on Thursday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Crusaders. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Nate Duval was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Duval was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one double.
In other batting news, Lucas Larson and Noah Hahn did most of the damage at the plate: Larson went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI, while Hahn got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That home run was Larson's first of the season. Gavin McCulloch was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
New Life Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive games.
New Life Academy's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for St. Croix Lutheran, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. St. Croix Lutheran hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like New Life Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Croix Lutheran skirted past New Life Academy 8-7 in their previous matchup back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
