Lake Central edged out Merrillville in a tight battle on Tuesday afternoon, securing a 6–5 victory to improve to 21–4 on the season. The win keeps the Indians rolling as they continue their strong finish to the regular season.

Lake Central came out swinging early, pushing across runs in the first two innings to build a 3–0 advantage. Merrillville answered back in the top of the fourth with three runs of their own, knotting the game at 3–3. The Indians responded immediately, scoring twice in the bottom half of the inning and adding another in the fifth to take control, 6–3.

The Pirates didn’t go quietly, plating two runs in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run game, but Lake Central’s bullpen held firm to close the door.

At the plate, the Indians were led by:

• Ethan Craft, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
• Luke Swartz, who doubled, drove in a run, and scored twice.
• Noah Sapper, who added a hit and RBI to help pace the offense.

On the mound, Jake Stuczynski earned the win with four solid innings, allowing just three runs while striking out four. Ryan Kania provided steady relief before Alex Garza came on to finish the game, notching the save.

Defensively, Lake Central was sharp, turning in several key plays to strand Merrillville baserunners and keep the Pirates from pulling even late.

With the win, Lake Central improves to 21–4 overall and 12–1 in conference play, setting the stage for a pivotal stretch run as postseason play approaches.