The Latin Romans will take on the Payton College Prep Grizzlies at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Latin's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Lake Forest Academy with a sharp 10-0 win. The Romans haven't had any issues with the Caxys recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Grayson Hoffman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Hoffman was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Latin got a massive performance out of Karim Patterson, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. That home run was Patterson's first of the season. Drew Lufrano was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Latin lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Payton College Prep was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They blew past Ogden International 7-1.
Nathan Volkens spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Payton College Prep is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-13 otherwise.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Nick Linares, who went 1-for-3 with one home run. He is becoming a predictor of Payton College Prep's success: when he posts at least one home run the team is 3-1 (and 7-13 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Augie Ruf, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Latin pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Payton College Prep, their win bumped their record up to 10-14.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Latin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like Payton College Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
