The Lake Central Indians will face off against the Northridge Raiders at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Lake Central 2.8, Northridge 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Northridge will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Lake Central extended their winning streak to five on Thursday. The Indians never let Merrillville get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory. Considering the Indians have won 13 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Luke O'Keefe looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Ryder Fernandez was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Drew Kosteba was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Lake Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 8.8.
Meanwhile, Northridge fell victim to Logansport and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They fell just short of the Berries by a score of 1-0. The Raiders' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Colt Bollinger was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Lake Central's win bumped their record up to 22-4. As for Northridge, their loss dropped their record down to 15-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lake Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Northridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Lake Central took their victory against Northridge when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-2 score. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Raiders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
