The Lakeview Bulldogs will square off against the McKinley Red Dragons at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lakeview had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt West Branch on Saturday. The Bulldogs never let the Warriors get on the board and left with a 7-0 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won four matchups by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Nicolas Aho
| 04/26/25 @ West Branch | 6 |
| 04/22/25 @ Hubbard | 1 |
| 04/16/25 @ Mineral Ridge | 5 |
| 04/14/25 vs Poland Seminary | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ Struthers | 6 |
Nicolas Aho was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted over his last five contests. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isaiah Lantz, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Brandon Toot was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three game, McKinley brought some dynamite into their most recent match. They were the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over Chaney on Thursday. The win was some much needed relief for the Red Dragons as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
McKinley let AJ Yost and Brixton Gilmour run wild. Yost went a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Gilmour went 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Yost has become a key player for McKinley: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-10 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Anthony Mymo, who went 2-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.
McKinley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.
Lakeview's victory bumped their record up to 8-5. As for McKinley, their win bumped their record up to 5-10.
Lakeview came out on top in a nail-biter against McKinley when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Red Dragons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
