The Lakota East Thunderhawks will take on the Lebanon Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakota East is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
Lakota East is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They skirted past West Clermont 3-2.
Kaleigh Crawford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Amber Munoz was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Haley Thompson, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one double.
Meanwhile, Lebanon entered their tilt with Sycamore on Monday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Aviators. Considering the Warriors have won 14 matches by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Ella Tuebner and Sophie Abrams did most of the damage at the plate: Tuebner went 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI, while Abrams went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Jane Leuzinger was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Lebanon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sycamore only posted an OBP of .263.
Lakota East has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a massive bump to their 16-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Lebanon, they pushed their record up to 17-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lakota East hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. However, it's not like Lebanon struggles in that department as they've averaged .414. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakota East was able to grind out a solid win over Lebanon in their previous meeting back in May of 2019, winning 3-0. Do the Thunderhawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
