Softball Game Preview: Lakeland Lakers vs. Angola Hornets

Lakers

Runs

04/17/25 @ Westview	4
04/16/25 @ Prairie Heights	18
04/12/25 @ Churubusco	3
04/12/25 vs Eastbrook	6
04/03/25 @ NorthWood	3
+ 2 more games

Lakeland and Angola are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Lakers will head out on the road to square off against the Hornets at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Lakeland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.

Lakeland proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by nine) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Westview, sneaking past 4-3.

Shakthi Ramachandran spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on five hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Cheyenne Short was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kylee Waldron, who earned one run and two stolen bases.

Lakeland hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Westview struck out seven times.

Meanwhile, Angola was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat dating back to last season. They lost 19-9 to Fairfield. On the bright side, the nine- run effort marked the Hornets' highest-scoring match to date.

Lakeland has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Angola, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.

Lakeland took their win against Angola in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 8-2 score. Will the Lakers repeat their success, or do the Hornets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.