The Lakota Raiders will head out to face off against the Calvert Senecas at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Lakota came out on top against Hopewell-Loudon on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run seventh inning. The Raiders sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Chieftains. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted since April 9th.
AJ Gosche
| 04/30/25 vs Hopewell-Loudon | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Fostoria | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Calvert | 2 |
| 04/07/25 @ Hopewell-Loudon | 2 |
| 04/26/25 @ Arcadia | 1 |
The team relied heavily on AJ Gosche, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Grant Bomer, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI.
Lakota always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Calvert entered their tilt with Hopewell-Loudon on Monday with eight consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with nine. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Chieftains.
Tucker Coleman tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, Calvert's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was AJ Shoemaker, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI. Gabe Badik also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Calvert pushed their record up to 12-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Lakota, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-7 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lakota has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Calvert struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lakota came out on top in a nail-biter against Calvert in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
