The Lakeview Sailors will take on the Mercyhurst Prep Lakers at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lakeview comes in on six and Mercyhurst Prep on nine.
Lakeview is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over Mercer.
Lucas Fagley was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Garet Guthrie was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Cody Fagley was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Mercyhurst Prep posted their closest victory since May 1, 2024 on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 win over Maplewood.
Mercyhurst Prep also got a great performance from Hunter Krahe as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Zack Kruszewski, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Brady Coleman, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Lakeview's record now sits at 16-3. As for Mercyhurst Prep, their record is now 20-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lakeview hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .355. However, it's not like Mercyhurst Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .417. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakeview took their victory against Mercyhurst Prep in their previous meeting back in May of 2018 by a conclusive 13-1 score. Will the Sailors repeat their success, or do the Lakers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
