Cougars
| 03/04/25 @ San Gorgonio | 13 |
| 02/27/25 @ Citrus Hill | 2 |
| 02/25/25 @ Redlands | 5 |
| 02/22/25 vs Academy for Academic Excellence | 8 |
| 02/22/25 @ Academy of Careers & Exploration | 10 |
| + 2 more games |
The Granite Hills Cougars will head out to face off against the Apple Valley Sun Devils at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. Granite Hills is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
While Granite Hills didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past San Gorgonio 13-5 on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Cougars considering their two-run performance the match before.
Caden Wharton was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing Two bases. while getting on base in all six of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Travon Jackson Jr and Aiden Vasquez did most of the damage at the plate: Jackson Jr scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5, while Vasquez scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Luis Campos, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Granite Hills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .450. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as San Gorgonio only posted a batting average of .160.
Meanwhile, Saturday just wasn't the day for Apple Valley's offense. They fell just short of Chino by a score of 1-0 on Saturday. The Sun Devils' defeat signaled the end of their six-game winning streak.
Apple Valley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ethyn Doyle, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Apple Valley's loss dropped their record down to 8-2. As for Granite Hills, their record is now 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Granite Hills has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Apple Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Granite Hills might still be hurting after the 11-3 defeat they got from Apple Valley in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Granite Hills avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
