Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Lutheran walked away with it. They skirted past the Lena-Winslow Panthers 8-6. The victory was familiar territory for the Crusaders, who have now won three games in a row.
Nate Ling was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base. Lutheran is undefeated when Ling posts two or more runs, but 6-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Mason Villafuerte was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Jake Guse, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Lutheran kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Crusaders
| 05/24/25 @ Lena-Winslow | 8-6 |
| 05/21/25 @ Dakota | 10-2 |
| 05/15/25 @ Dixon | 5-3 |
| 05/08/25 @ Oregon | 11-4 |
| 05/06/25 @ Stillman Valley | 17-8 |
| + 4 more games |
Lutheran pushed their record up to 18-9 with the win, which was their ninth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Lena-Winslow, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 21-8-1.
As of now, neither Lutheran nor the Panthers have any future games scheduled.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
