vs
| 05/29/24 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 05/29/24 - Home | 6-7 L |
| 05/25/23 - Away | 13-8 W |
| 05/25/23 - Away | 7-9 L |
| 04/23/23 - Neutral | 6-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Lakeland and Howell are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2015, but likely not for long. The Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the Highlanders at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lakeland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Lakeland can't be too worried about heading out to take on Howell: they just beat South Lyon East at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Eagles had just enough and edged out the Cougars 13-12 on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won three in a row.
Lakeland let Izzy Bedini and Emily Searle run wild. Bedini went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double, while Searle went 2-for-4 with five RBI and one triple. That's the most RBI Searle has posted over her last 15 matches. Piper Huff was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Howell made easy work of Franklin on Monday and carried off a 16-6 victory. The Highlanders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 games by six runs or more this season.
Zoey Overton and Addison Caldwell did most of the damage at the plate: Overton went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI, while Caldwell went 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Leighton Scott, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs.
Howell was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .542. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in five consecutive contests.
Howell is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 24-13-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Lakeland, they pushed their record up to 23-9 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lakeland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .493. However, it's not like Howell struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakeland came out on top in a nail-biter against Howell in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
