Baseball Game Preview: Round Lake Panthers vs. Wauconda Bulldogs

For the second straight game, Round Lake will face off against Wauconda. The Panthers will challenge the Bulldogs at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Round Lake has given up an average of 11.6 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Round Lake is headed into Wednesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They lost 13-1 to Wauconda.

For Wauconda's part, Patrick Shannon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up six Ks. Shannon has become a key player for the Bulldogs: the team is 5-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 9-10 otherwise.

On the hitting side, Luke Sickmeir was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Brody Rudolph, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Wauconda kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 12-1 when they post 11 or more hits.

Wauconda has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-11 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Round Lake, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-16.