Flores was electric, striking out 10 batters across five dominant innings. He allowed just three hits, didn’t surrender a run, and issued only one walk to keep the Trojans off balance all night.

Lake Central broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on a Chesterton error to put the first run on the board. From there, the Indians added on and never looked back.

Drew Kosteba led the offensive charge with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Dylan Hein showcased discipline with three walks. As a team, Lake Central displayed tremendous patience, drawing 10 free passes in total. The aggression on the base paths paid off as well — Kosteba and Hein each swiped multiple bags, and the Indians racked up eight stolen bases in all.

Zach Nicola closed the door to earn the save, preserving the win after Flores’ dominant outing.

Chesterton starter Hawksworth took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits over 4.2 innings, striking out four and walking six. Hackett provided a bright spot for the Trojans with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

With this win, Lake Central improves its record and looks to continue the momentum on Wednesday, when they travel to Chesterton for the second game of the series.