The Woodland Christian Cardinals will challenge the Summerville Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Woodland Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Humphreys Able Charter as they made off with a 15-1 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Cardinals, who have now won five games in a row.
Jordan Villanueva was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Parker Howald
| 05/06/25 vs Humphreys Able Charter | 5 |
| 05/01/25 vs Mesa Verde | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Cosumnes Oaks | 4 |
| 04/03/25 vs New Roads | 3 |
| 03/18/25 @ Highlands | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
In other pitching news, Parker Howald looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
Back at the plate, Jeffrey Nannini was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. Jandro Torres was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Woodland Christian hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Summerville and Mariposa County faced off in a Battle of the Bears on Tuesday. The Bears were the clear victors by a 20-10 margin over the Grizzlies. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bears.
Aidan Ripley made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. Ripley was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Summerville's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-2 (and 9-11-1 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tyler Karpus, who went 1-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Woodland Christian pushed their record up to 22-6 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Summerville, they now have a winning record of 14-13-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Woodland Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Summerville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
