Lake Station Edison hasn't had much luck against River Forest recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Fighting Eagles will square off against the Ingots at 5:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Lake Station Edison turned things around against East Chicago Central on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 14-4 victory. Considering the Fighting Eagles' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Joaquin Hernandez
| 05/07/26 vs East Chicago Central | 3 |
| 05/05/26 vs Wheeler | 2 |
| 04/16/26 vs Hammond Academy of Science & Tech | 2 |
| 05/24/25 @ Gary West Side | 2 |
| 05/19/25 vs South Shore Homeschool Athletics | 2 |
Joaquin Hernandez and Aiden Rowan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Hernandez tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Rowan tossed five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. At the plate, Hernandez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs, while Rowan went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three hits gave Hernandez a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lake Station Edison let Xavier Moore and Sebatian Hernandez run wild. Moore got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, one triple, and one RBI, while Hernandez went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and four runs. Those four runs gave Moore a new career-high. Cayden Sellers was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Lake Station Edison always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .683. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Chicago Central only posted an OBP of .276.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but River Forest ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They walked away with a 12-7 win over Hammond Central. The Ingots haven't had any issues with the Wolves recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Manny Mendoza was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Mendoza was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. River Forest is undefeated when Mendoza posts two or more runs, but 4-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, Josiah Artest was incredible, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Walter Jaime, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Lake Station Edison's record is now 2-8. As for River Forest, their record now sits at 10-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lake Station Edison has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like River Forest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lake Station Edison suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to River Forest when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Fighting Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
