Lakewood is on a three-game streak of home losses, and Barry County Christian a three-game streak of away losses. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Thursday. The Lakewood Vikings will look to defend their home field against the Barry County Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m.
Lakewood lost 17-3 to Harper Creek on Tuesday.
13 must be Barry County Christian's lucky number: they beat Litchfield with that score not once but twice on Tuesday. The Eagles put the hurt on the Terriers with a sharp 13-2 win. That 11-run margin sets a new team best for the Eagles this season.
Leo Gerst and Gideon Boening made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Gerst pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Boening tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. At bat, Gerst went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Boening went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Boening has become a key player for Barry County Christian: the team is 5-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9-1 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jude Birmingham, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two doubles. Barry County Christian is undefeated when Birmingham posts three or more RBI, but 9-11-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Seth Perron, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Lakewood's defeat dropped their record down to 13-8-1. As for Barry County Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 13-11-1.
Lakewood was able to grind out a solid win over Barry County Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2025, winning 7-2. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
