Softball Preview: Lakeland Lakers vs. Central Noble Cougars
After three games on the road, Lakeland is heading back home. They will take on the Central Noble Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lakeland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Last Tuesday, it was a hard-fought match, but Lakeland had to settle for a 9-7 defeat against West Noble.
Kaitlyn Keck was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two stolen bases, and two runs.
Meanwhile, Central Noble came tearing into Tuesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Railroaders as they made off with a 10-2 victory.
Kensy Kimmell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in ten consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Katie Forker was excellent, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kennedy Vice, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Lakeland has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Central Noble, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season.
Lakeland's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. Lakeland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Central Noble, though, as they've been averaging only 0.4. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lakeland continue to outrun the ball?
Lakeland skirted past Central Noble 5-3 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will Lakeland repeat their success, or does Central Noble have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
