Baseball Game Preview: Lakeside Eagles vs. Lakeland Hawks

It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Lakeside Eagles face off against Lakeland Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Lakeside will be strutting in after a win while Lakeland will be coming in after a loss.

Lakeside will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Royal on Tuesday. Lakeside put the hurt on Royal with a sharp 10-1 victory.

Kannon Almond

Runs Batted In

03/25/25 @ Royal	3
05/11/24 vs Deer Park	1
05/11/24 vs Freeman	1
05/07/24 vs Colville	1
04/16/24 vs Freeman	1
+ 4 more games

The team relied heavily on Kannon Almond, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Jonah Starr was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Lakeland came up short against Sandpoint on Tuesday and fell 6-1.

Jace Taylor put in work no matter where he played. He pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Taylor was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

Lakeland's defeat dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Lakeside, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.

Lakeland's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lakeside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. It's a different story for Lakeland, though, as they've only averaged .323. Will they be able to contain Lakeside's hitters?

Lakeside couldn't quite get it done against Lakeland in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Can Lakeside avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.