Lawrence Central is 1-9 against North Central since May of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Bears are taking a road trip to take on the Panthers at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Lawrence Central turned things around against Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter on Friday. They walked away with a 5-2 win over the Raiders.
Paul Carnes
| 05/15/26 @ Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter | 14 |
| 05/14/25 vs Warren Central | 11 |
| 04/21/26 @ Ben Davis | 10 |
| 04/18/25 @ Connersville | 10 |
| 04/23/25 @ Ben Davis | 9 |
Paul Carnes was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Those 14 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Darrell Rice, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Lawrence Central is undefeated when Rice posts two or more runs, but 0-12 otherwise. Levi Cagley also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Twin Lakes typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday North Central proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on the Indians with a sharp 9-2 victory. Considering the Panthers have won nine matchups by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Lawrence Central, North Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Christian Kropa. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). Kropa has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
In other pitching news, Charlie Barker looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits.
Back at the plate, Rykin Matthias was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jameson Hittle, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
North Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in four consecutive games.
Lawrence Central's record now sits at 3-12. As for North Central, their record is now 15-6.
