The Kennedy Commanders are taking a road trip to face off against the Standley Lake Gators at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Kennedy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Kennedy is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering DSST: Montview just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 8-4 to the Knights.
Damian Ortiz made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Dylan Nielsen, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Standley Lake). They came out on top in a nail-biter against Pomona on Thursday, sneaking past 14-12. The win continues a trend for the Gators in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.
Chris Blanco made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Standley Lake's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 4-6 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Marc Garcia was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with five RBI, three doubles, and one run. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high. Henry Moore also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Standley Lake was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .485. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in four consecutive contests.
Kennedy now has a losing record of 5-6. As for Standley Lake, their record is now 6-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Kennedy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Standley Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
