Lakeland hasn't had much luck against Westview recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Lakers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Warriors at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lakeland has three straight wins, Westview has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Saturday, Lakeland made easy work of Woodlan and carried off a 9-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Lakers, who have now won six contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Dylan Bateman
| 04/26/25 vs Woodlan | 5 |
| 05/14/24 vs Hamilton | 3 |
| 04/22/25 vs Churubusco | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Sturgis | 2 |
| 05/18/24 vs Concord | 1 |
Dylan Bateman and Garrett Pieri were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Bateman pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Meanwhile, Pieri tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave Bateman a new career-high in strikeouts (five). At bat, Bateman went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI, while Pieri went 2-for-3 with two runs and two doubles.
In other batting news, Lakeland let Carson Mickem and Brayden Holbrook run wild. Mickem got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs, while Holbrook went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases Mickem has posted since back in May of 2024. Keyan Arroyo was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI.
Lakeland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .559. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Woodlan only posted an OBP of .214.
Meanwhile, Westview didn't have quite enough to beat Illiana Christian on Saturday and fell 2-1. That's two games in a row now that the Warriors have lost by just one run.
Lakeland pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Westview, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-7.
Lakeland's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's match. The Lakers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Westview, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lakeland continue to outrun the ball?
Lakeland came out on top in a nail-biter against Westview when the teams last played last Thursday, sneaking past 7-5. Will the Lakers repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
