vs
| 05/13/24 - Away | 12-0 W |
| 04/27/17 - Away | 8-7 W |
| 04/28/16 - Home | 5-3 W |
| 04/30/15 - Away | 6-2 W |
Lapel has gone a perfect 4-0 against Muncie Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lapel has 13 straight victories, Muncie Central has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Lapel came out on top against Kokomo on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run third inning. The Bulldogs blew past the Wildkats 11-5. Considering the Bulldogs have won 17 contests by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Darl Gustin made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed seven innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Gustin was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ray Smith, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Rylie Hudson, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Lapel hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Muncie Central came up short against Shenandoah on Thursday, falling 13-3.
Parker Shelley made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Muncie Central's defeat dropped their record down to 4-18. As for Lapel, their win was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 23-1.
Muncie Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lapel has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Muncie Central, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given Lapel's sizable advantage in that area, the Bearcats will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lapel took their victory against Muncie Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-0 score. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bearcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
