The Lakeland Eagles will head out to challenge the Walled Lake Western Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakeland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
On Monday, Lakeland got the win against Mott by a conclusive 14-3. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Corsairs recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Meredith Peterson looked comfortable as she pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up a single walk in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Lakeland let Maddie Miles and Aubrey VanGoethem run wild. Miles went 1-for-2 with one home run, while VanGoethem went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits VanGoethem has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Noelle O'Dowd, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Lakeland was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .524. They are 13-3 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Walled Lake Western was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against South Lyon East, falling 19-3.
Walled Lake Western saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sydney Dean, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Lakeland pushed their record up to 16-8 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Walled Lake Western, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-15.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lakeland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .412. However, it's not like Walled Lake Western struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Lakeland's way against Walled Lake Western when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Lakeland made off with a 14-4 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
