Brother Rice and Lyons are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. The Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Brother Rice will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
On Wednesday, Brother Rice made easy work of Fenwick and carried off a 15-7 win. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Danny Sheehan looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Gavin Triezenberg
| 04/09/25 vs Fenwick | 4 |
| 03/29/25 vs Oswego East | 3 |
| 04/13/24 @ DePaul College Prep | 3 |
| 03/27/24 vs Marian Catholic | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ St. Xavier | 2 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gavin Triezenberg, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Cunningham, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Brother Rice was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .571. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .379 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Lyons gave up the first runs last Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over Lincoln-Way Central. Winning may never get old, but the Lions sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Lyons also got a great performance from Jack Slightom as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over six innings pitched.
At the plate, Lyons let Tommy Georgelos and Luke Nicholaus run wild. Georgelos scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Nicholaus got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI. Another player making a difference was Blake Ragsdale, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Brother Rice's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Lyons, their record now sits at 6-1.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Brother Rice has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .561. However, it's not like Lyons struggles in that department as they've averaged .496. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Brother Rice was able to grind out a solid win over Lyons in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
