Chesterton is 0-10 against Lake Central since April of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Trojans will look to defend their home field against the Indians at 4:30 p.m. Chesterton is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
On Thursday, Chesterton made easy work of Hebron and carried off a 17-5 victory. Considering the Trojans have won eight contests by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Payton Cherep
| 05/01/25 vs Hebron | 5 |
| 04/30/25 @ La Porte | 3 |
| 04/21/25 vs Portage | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Illiana Christian | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Mishawaka | 2 |
Payton Cherep made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run and five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Alexia Franco was incredible, firing off two home runs, five runs, and five RBI while going 4-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Oliva Milton, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Chesterton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Lake Central faced Lowell in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Indians fell just short of the Red Devils by a score of 4-2. The Indians' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Lake Central also got a good showing from Jada Lewis, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Lexi Iwema was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run. Tegan Tripp was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Chesterton's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Lake Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 19-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Chesterton hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Lake Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Chesterton might still be hurting after the 13-2 loss they got from Lake Central in their previous meeting back in April. Will the Trojans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
