By Noel Fary

It was all Corn Dogs in their 7-3 victory over the NWI Oilmen on Friday, with Lake County never appearing to lose control of the game or their rhythm in the second of a three-game season opener series at Legacy Fields in Crown Point, Indiana.

Starting pitcher for the Corn Dogs, Gavin Gallagher, shined in his Northern League debut, racking up seven strikeouts and only one earned run on the night. Manager Justin Huisman welcomes the addition, as new players to the team are proving to have plenty to offer.

“He’s got really good stuff,” Huisman said. “There’s some aspects that can be cleaned up, like some two-out walks, but Gavin pitched a great game for us.”

On offense, the Corn Dogs spread the wealth, with six different players collecting a hit. Scott Hansen, returning for his second season on the team, started the game hot with two straight singles, two RBIs, and excellent base running that earned him the Macron Player of the Game.

The Oilmen tacked on nine more walks to make their season total 24 through two games. A steady barrage of offense throughout the entire game from the Corn Dogs inflated the pitch count and spoiled starting pitcher Silas Noe’s season debut.

Coming down the stretch, new faces in the bullpen executed for the Corn Dogs, even when facing multiple runners on base. Relievers Austin Pizer, Eric Santaguida and Adam Walters finished the job for Gallagher and showed promise in an area of the game the Corn Dogs had a lack of consistency in last season — relief pitching.

“It can be difficult to know exactly what we have before the season starts,” Huisman said. “It’s good to know we have some guys to fall back on in tough situations.”

The Corn Dogs look to complete the series sweep over the Oilmen on Saturday. First pitch is 7 p.m.

Photo caption: Gavin Gallagher on the mound for the Corn Dogs.