Helix hasn't had much luck against Granite Hills recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Highlanders will square off against the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Helix barely beat Grossmont the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Highlanders put the hurt on the Foothillers with a sharp 12-3 win on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Highlanders.
Matt Martinez looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Rory Kleiner, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Dom Galicia also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Helix kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Grossmont only managed seven hits.
Meanwhile, Granite Hills put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They were the clear victors by an 8-2 margin over Valhalla. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Trevor Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Smith was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other pitching news, Scott Russell looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits.
Back at the plate, Tommy Entrekin was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Anthony Miotti, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Helix pushed their record up to 13-10 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Granite Hills, their record now sits at 16-0-2.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Helix hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Granite Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Helix might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Granite Hills in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Highlanders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
