Lake Shore hasn't had much luck against Hamburg recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will be playing at home against the Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Lake Shore took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They walked away with a 9-6 victory over Griffith Institute.
Shane Lagattuta
| 05/13/25 @ Griffith Institute | 4 |
| 05/14/25 vs Griffith Institute | 2 |
| 05/07/25 @ Cheektowaga | 2 |
| 05/07/25 vs Cheektowaga | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Pioneer | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Shane Lagattuta, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Lake Shore: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 1-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Martin, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Lake Shore kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hamburg came into Wednesday's contest having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They had just enough and edged out Starpoint 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bulldogs have posted since April 3rd.
Dylan Monczynski tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Jimmy Steffen was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Miles Liebenow, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Lake Shore is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Hamburg, their win bumped their record up to 9-6-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lake Shore has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hamburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lake Shore suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Hamburg in their previous meeting back in April of 2019. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
