Lafayette Jefferson is 2-8 against Crown Point since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Bronchos will be playing at home against the Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Lafayette Jefferson sitting on four straight victories and Crown Point on five.
On Friday, Lafayette Jefferson needed a bit of extra time to put away Chesterton. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Trojans, sneaking past 6-5. While the Bronchos didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Lafayette Jefferson got a great performance from Nate Hilsabeck as he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Peyton Parker was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Alonzo Clawson-Smith, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Crown Point never let their opponents score on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over McCutcheon. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won four contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Riley Ackerman tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Noah Ehrlich, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jase Horton, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Crown Point was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .387 or higher in four consecutive games.
Lafayette Jefferson's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Crown Point, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lafayette Jefferson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Crown Point struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lafayette Jefferson suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Crown Point in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Bronchos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
