The Elkhart Lions will challenge the Mishawaka Cavemen at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Elkhart sitting on three straight victories and Mishawaka on six.
Elkhart's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Mishawaka Marian. Considering the Lions have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Laci Stimac made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Fionna Topolski
| 05/15/25 @ Mishawaka Marian | 3 |
| 04/15/25 @ South Bend Riley | 2 |
| 05/10/25 vs Fort Wayne Northrop | 1 |
| 05/10/25 vs Northridge | 1 |
| 05/02/25 @ South Bend Saint Joseph | 1 |
In other batting news, Fionna Topolski was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Addison Reid, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Elkhart hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Mishawaka won against Concord on Wednesday with nine runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Cavemen walked away with a 9-4 win over NorthWood.
Like Elkhart, Mishawaka also got a great game from a two-way player: Camila Rameriz. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Rameriz was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shea Crawford, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Khloe Hershey was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
Mishawaka's victory was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Elkhart, the victory got them back to even at 11-11.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Elkhart hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Mishawaka struggles in that department as they've averaged .350. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Elkhart couldn't quite get it done against Mishawaka in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 as they fell 11-8. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
