Baseball Game Preview: Foothill Cougars vs. Chico Panthers

Foothill hasn't had much luck against Chico recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Cougars will face off against the Panthers. Foothill is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.

Foothill is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Pleasant Valley get on the board and left with a 4-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.

Not much got past Matthew Baas, who gave up just five hits to keep Pleasant Valley off the board.

On the hitting side, Foothill saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Blake Schwerdt, who went 2-for-4 with one triple and one run.

Meanwhile, Chico earned a 5-2 win over Pleasant Valley on Tuesday.

Vinny Boatwright tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Guiseppe Bianchi and Jorden Neugebauer did most of the damage at the plate: Bianchi went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Neugebauer went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Bianchi has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Tanner Horn, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Foothill's record now sits at 22-7. As for Chico, their record is now 21-8.