The TMI-Episcopal Panthers will face off against the Burbank Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
TMI-Episcopal is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Llano 7-6. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Panthers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Brock Grullon was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brody Worrich, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Ryan Mooney was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
TMI-Episcopal was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Burbank, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They never let LEE get on the board and left with an 8-0 win on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bulldogs as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Not much got past Matthew Meza, who gave up just five hits and racked up six Ks to keep LEE off the board.
At the plate, Santos Maldonado was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaac Sandoval, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Burbank pushed their record up to 4-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 11.5 hits in those games compared to only 4.4 in the others. As for TMI-Episcopal, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
TMI-Episcopal took their win against Burbank in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 12-5. Will TMI-Episcopal repeat their success, or does Burbank have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
