The Lakeland Lakers will head out on the road to square off against the Bethany Christian Bruins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Lakeland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Lakeland is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Garrett just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Railroaders by a score of 5-4.
Carson Mickem put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Mickem has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in six consecutive pitching appearances. Mickem was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Mickem wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Garrett Pieri, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Pieri has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
Meanwhile, Bethany Christian had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over Tippecanoe Valley on Thursday.
The team relied heavily on Jude Miller, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Schlabach, who scored a run and stole three bases.
Lakeland's defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 17-8. As for Bethany Christian, their win bumped their record up to 6-12.
Lakeland took their victory against Bethany Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 13-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lakeland since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
