Crown Point, Ind. – June 24, 2023 – The Southland Vikings brought a four-game winning streak to Legacy Field on Saturday hoping that their momentum would carry them to a win over the Lake County Corn Dogs, but the end result was a familiar one with the reigning league champions coming out on top 11-2.  

The Vikings are now 0-5 against the Corn Dogs this season while going 11-6 against everyone else. Lake County is also the only team that the Vikings have a losing record against this year.  

The game started well for Will Moell and the Vikings as he retired the first two batters that he faced, but the third out of the first inning did not come easy.  

Ranko Stevanovic drew a two out walk to get the line moving for the Corn Dogs and by the time the third out was recorded, Lake County had scored four runs while sending ten to the plate on three walks, a hit by pitch, an error and two singles.     

The Vikings got a run back in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Ty Chaney Jr. and Jack Fitzharris to make the score 4-1, but that was as close as they would get as the Corn Dogs continued to pile on runs enroute to another win over the Vikings.  

“It might just be a mental thing, maybe putting too much thought into them being the reigning champs, but we just give them games,” Vikings skipper Sullivan Stickann said after watching his team walk nine and commit two errors in the loss. “The last few times we’ve played them, we’ve dug ourselves into a hole early and it’s just demoralizing and kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.”

 One positive for the Vikings was seeing Julien Hachem bounce back after a rough start to his day. Hachem allowed two runs in the fifth inning on two walks, a balk and a single, but bounced back by tossing a scoreless sixth and seventh inning.  

In the sixth, Hachem benefitted from a 1-6-4-3 double play that caromed off of his glove to shortstop Jeremy Freeman to start the league leading 19th double play for the Vikings defense this season. The Vikings have now turned at least one double play in nine straight games.  

 The third place Vikings (11-11) will look to bounce back as they take on the fourth place Elkhart County Miracle (10-12) on Sunday from Nappanee, Ind. Daniel Quintero is expected to make his first start for the Vikings. First pitch is at 1pm ct.