Baseball Game Preview: North Valley Baptist Bulldogs vs. Summit Shasta Black Bears

North Valley Baptist hasn't had much luck against Summit Shasta recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Bulldogs will square off against the Black Bears at 4:00 p.m. North Valley Baptist has given up an average of 8.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

North Valley Baptist is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game last Tuesday. They came up short against Pinewood, falling 11-1. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Bulldogs couldn't push the score so high this time.

Meanwhile, Summit Shasta had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They put the hurt on KIPP San Jose Collegiate with a sharp 12-1 win on Tuesday. The Black Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by ten runs or more this season.

Juan Miguel Rojas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jalen Mingao, who went 1-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Giancarlo Timothy Tapiador also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.

The victory got Summit Shasta back to even at 12-12. As for North Valley Baptist, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.

North Valley Baptist couldn't quite get it done against Summit Shasta when the teams last played back in April as they fell 8-5. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.