The Northridge Raiders will head out on the road to face off against the Lake Central Indians at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The last three games Northridge has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Friday just wasn't the day for Northridge's offense. They fell just short of Logansport by a score of 1-0 on Friday. The Raiders' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Colt Bollinger was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Lake Central won against Merrillville on Wednesday with 18 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Indians never let the Pirates get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory. The Indians might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matches by six runs or more this season.
Luke O'Keefe looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Ryder Fernandez was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Drew Kosteba, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Lake Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 8.8.
Lake Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Northridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northridge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Lake Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northridge might still be hurting after the 9-2 loss they got from Lake Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
