Softball Game Preview: Munster Mustangs vs. Lake Central Indians

Munster hasn't had much luck against Lake Central recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Mustangs will take on the Indians at 5:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Munster 3.2, Lake Central 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Munster is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Lincoln-Way East, who was ranked fifth in their home state at the time (Munster was ranked fourth). The Mustangs fell 6-1 to the Griffins on Saturday.

Caroline Wendlinger made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with one home run.

Meanwhile, Lake Central had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.2 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 14-7 victory. The result was nothing new for the Indians, who have now won 17 matches by six runs or more so far this season.

Maddie Such looked comfortable as she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Taylor Schafer, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with one home run, six RBI, and one double. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Kate Renschen was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.

Munster's loss dropped their record down to 26-5. As for Lake Central, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 26-3.

Munster came up short against Lake Central in their previous matchup back in April, falling 5-0. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.