The Ripon Indians will venture away from home to challenge the Escalon Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ripon took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hilmar, sneaking past 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Indians have posted since March 26th.
Joseph Molthen
| 04/25/25 vs Hilmar | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Edison | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Argonaut | 0 |
Joseph Molthen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Ripon's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Weber, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Escalon waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Warriors a 14-0 shutout. That looming 14-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Brody Abbott made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Abbott was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Escalon got a massive performance out of Ben Gonzalez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those two RBI gave Gonzalez a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Josh Fiori, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Escalon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive games.
Ripon's record now sits at 10-12. As for Escalon, their record is now 13-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ripon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Escalon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ripon might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Escalon in their previous meeting last Wednesday. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
