Baseball Game Preview: Riverton Parke Panthers vs. Lafayette Central Catholic Knights

Riverton Parke hasn't had much luck against Lafayette Central Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Panthers will square off against the Knights at 6:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Riverton Parke sitting on five straight wins and Lafayette Central Catholic on four.

Riverton Parke had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Paris on Wednesday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 12-6 victory. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Jonah Hopkins

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/16/25 vs Paris	3
05/04/24 vs Covington	2
03/25/24 vs Crawfordsville	2
03/31/25 @ Crawfordsville	1
05/11/24 vs Attica	1

Jonah Hopkins made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, Eli Roberts was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.

Riverton Parke kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Lafayette Central Catholic). They blew past Benton Central 14-4 on Wednesday. That's two games straight that the Knights have won by exactly ten runs.

Lafayette Central Catholic's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Riverton Parke, their record is now 6-1.

Riverton Parke might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Lafayette Central Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.