The Lakeside Christian Lions will take on the Indian Rocks Christian Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
Lakeside Christian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 13 runs last Tuesday, they were much more limited against Bradenton Christian on Tuesday. They lost 11-1 to the Panthers. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lakeside Christian saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jamisen Rheintgen, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Indian Rocks Christian got the win against Admiral Farragut on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Eagles.
Sophia Bello made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Those six strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ellie Harris, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Haylie David, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Indian Rocks Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .458. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Admiral Farragut only posted a batting average of .238.
Indian Rocks Christian's victory bumped their record up to 5-18. As for Lakeside Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 11-6.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lakeside Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .478. However, it's not like Indian Rocks Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .785. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakeside Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Indian Rocks Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 7-3. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
