The Woodside Wildcats will challenge the University Red Devils at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Woodside has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with three straight losses, while University will come in with ten straight wins.
It was a proper cat-fight when Woodside faced off against Half Moon Bay on Thursday. The Wildcats lost 10-2 to the Cougars.
Woodside saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cruz Torres, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, University made easy work of San Domenico on Friday and carried off a 16-1 victory. Considering the Red Devils have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Tate Gebhart made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Rohan Hartigan looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Leo Felder, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Mattie Grisso, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
University was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in 12 consecutive games.
University pushed their record up to 15-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Woodside, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Woodside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Woodside beat University 10-7 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Red Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
