Baseball Game Preview: Lawrence Central Bears vs. Kokomo Wildkats

Lawrence Central is on a three-game streak of home losses, and Kokomo a three-game streak of away losses. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Tuesday. The Lawrence Central Bears will be playing at home against the Kokomo Wildkats at 6:00 p.m. Lawrence Central will be strutting in after a win while Kokomo will be coming in after a defeat.

Having struggled with six losses in a row, Lawrence Central turned things around against Beech Grove on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Hornets.

Jonathon Gates Jr.

Base on Balls Against

05/03/25 @ Beech Grove	2
04/25/25 vs Anderson	1
04/22/25 vs Ben Davis	2
04/16/25 vs Lawrence North	1
04/15/25 @ Lawrence North	1
04/11/25 vs Lebanon	2

Jonathon Gates Jr. spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five earned runs on seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Lawrence Central let Gabe Rodarte and Jayden Dorsey run wild. Rodarte went 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, while Dorsey earned one run and three stolen bases. That's the most stolen bases Dorsey has posted since back in April. Kaleb Burns was another key player, earning one run and two stolen bases.

Kokomo couldn't beat Huntington North on Saturday even though they stacked five runs on them in the third inning. The Wildkats fell just short of the Vikings by a score of 10-9.

J.J. Gillespie made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-5 with one home run and two RBI. He also scored a run, marking his first of the season.

Lawrence Central's win bumped their record up to 4-11. As for Kokomo, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-7.