Corn Dogs Drop One to Oilmen, Play Generals Friday in Crown Point

By Noel Fary

In their first trip of the season to Whiting, the Lake County Corn Dogs came up short in a 5-2 defeat to the NWI Oilmen, where they saw plenty of runners get on base but had trouble sending them home.

Check out the box score from the game.

Dylan Matusak got his first career start as a Corn Dog and did not disappoint. In four innings pitched, Matusak recorded two strikeouts, no walks and no earned runs.

The game was scoreless through the first four innings, with both starters shutting down two high-powered offenses. Brandon Laux came into the game without an earned run on the season and finished just the same.

The Corn Dogs struck first, with a Gavin Terry double in the top of the fifth that brought Kevin Hall home, giving the Corn Dogs a 1-0 lead. The Oilmen wasted no time answering straight back.

With a lineup boasting some of the best hitters in the Northern League top to bottom, the Oilmen came storming back, taking a two run lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Hitting was not the problem for the Corn Dogs, as they outhit the Oilmen seven to six with all but three batters coming up empty in their at bats. A couple base running miscues led to scoring opportunities and the Corn Dogs’ momentum stopped.

The Corn Dogs threatened in the top of the seventh, crossing Hall across home one more time off a Ray Hilbrich single. After a two-run bottom of the eighth from the Oilmen, the Corn Dogs could not find an answer and conceded their second game of the season.

Approaching a short home stand, the Corn Dogs look ahead to Friday when the Griffith Generals visit Legacy Fields for the first time this season. First pitch is 7 p.m.