Softball Game Preview: Lakeland Lakers vs. Wawasee Warriors

The Lakeland Lakers will head out to square off against the Wawasee Warriors at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

On Monday, Lakeland came up short against Eastside and fell 7-3. The Lakers haven't had much luck with the Blazers recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.

Lakeland saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kylee Waldron, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one run. Another was Kaia McNamara, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Wawasee was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They fell 7-4 to Goshen.

Melissa Bontrager was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Abbagail Willey, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double.

Lakeland's defeat dropped their record down to 6-16. As for Wawasee, their loss dropped their record down to 6-18.

Lakeland's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Lakers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Wawasee, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lakeland continue to outrun the ball?

Lakeland couldn't quite get it done against Wawasee in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 as they fell 13-10. Can the Lakers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.