Crown Point is 2-8 against Lake Central since June of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will face off against the Indians at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Crown Point sitting on ten straight wins and Lake Central on three.
On Saturday, Crown Point earned an 8-4 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor.
Collin Bodnar tossed a big game, pitching 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Billy Chidsey was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Sean Dunlap, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Wednesday Lake Central sidestepped Portage for a 5-3 win.
Lake Central also got a great performance from Luke O'Keefe as he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Those eight strikeouts gave O'Keefe a new career-high.
At the plate, Keegan O'Bryan was excellent, earning one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases. Victor Villegas also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Lake Central pushed their record up to 16-3 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Crown Point, their record now sits at 19-3.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Crown Point has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .449. However, it's not like Lake Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Crown Point skirted past Lake Central 3-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
