Prairie Heights is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the Lakeland Lakers at 5:30 p.m. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Prairie Heights has struggled recently with 12 losses in a row, while Lakeland will arrive with three straight wins.
Prairie Heights lost 11-5 to Fremont on Saturday.
Austin Abbott and Braydon Duke stepped up to the plate in a big way. Abbott scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Duke scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Lakeland got themselves on the board against Lakewood Park Christian on Friday, but Lakewood Park Christian never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 20-0 margin over the Panthers.
Garrett Pieri made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Pieri was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lakeland got a massive performance out of Carson Mickem, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. What's more, Mickem posted three hits, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Keyan Arroyo, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5.
Lakeland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .711. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lakewood Park Christian only posted an OBP of .263.
Prairie Heights' defeat dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Lakeland, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Prairie Heights has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lakeland struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Prairie Heights suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Lakeland when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
