The Gustine Reds will take on the Denair Coyotes at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Gustine 3.8, Denair 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Gustine and Mariposa County meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. Gustine had just enough and edged out Mariposa County 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Reds have posted since April 19, 2024.
Gustine's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Mike Saaranzin, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Denair has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging four runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Thursday. They came up short against Le Grand, falling 11-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Coyotes have suffered against the Bulldogs since March 31, 2022.
Lincoln Hart was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Gustine's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Denair, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-4-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gustine has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Denair struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 11.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Gustine was able to grind out a solid victory over Denair when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 6-2. Does Gustine have another victory up their sleeve, or will Denair turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
