Baseball Game Preview: Hinsdale Central Red Devils vs. Lyons Lions

The Hinsdale Central Red Devils will face off against the Lyons Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Hinsdale Central fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Lemont on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lemont HS by a score of 5-3. The Red Devils have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lyons, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Hinsdale Central on Tuesday. Considering the Lions have won 13 contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Dylan Justinich spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Blake Ragsdale, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. Cam Clarke was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Lyons kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.

Lyons' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Hinsdale Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-13.

Hinsdale Central might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Lyons in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Will the Red Devils have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.