The Boardman Spartans will head out on the road to take on the Lakeview Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Boardman's pitching crew has only allowed 2.7 runs per game this season, so Lakeview's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Boardman's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Springfield 2-0. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Spartans as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Landon Whippo was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Whippo wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Grayson Eicher, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run. Vince Butto also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, Lakeview made sure to put some runs up on the board against Maplewood on Friday. The Bulldogs put the hurt on the Rockets with a sharp 14-7 win. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Bulldogs' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Carter Doran was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Lakeview's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 7-10 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Stuart, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Lakeview kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Lakeview now has a winning record of 11-10. As for Boardman, their record is now 12-6.
Boardman skirted past Lakeview 2-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
