The Fruitland Grizzlies will head out on the road to challenge the Homedale Trojans at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Fruitland comes in on 19 and Homedale on five.
On Friday, Fruitland earned a 12-9 victory over Kimberly.
Austin Tesnohlidek tossed a big game, tossing 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Fruitland got a massive performance out of Nate Grosvenor, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI Grosvenor has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Titus Vidlak, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Fruitland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Homedale made easy work of Parma on Saturday and carried off a 20-2 win. Considering the Trojans have won eight contests by more than seven runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
William Dunne made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Dunne was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Lukas Hall was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Chance Martell was another key player, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Homedale pushed their record up to 16-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Fruitland, their record is now 19-0.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fruitland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .411. However, it's not like Homedale struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fruitland came up short against Homedale in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 4-1. Can the Grizzlies avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
