Baseball Game Preview: Johansen Vikings vs. Pacheco Panthers

Johansen hasn't had much luck against Pacheco recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Johansen Vikings will be playing in front of their home fans against the Pacheco Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Johansen has given up an average of 7.7 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Thursday just wasn't the day for Johansen's offense. They lost 12-0 to Ceres on Thursday. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Johansen saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gus Martinez, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Pacheco was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-4 heartbreaker at the hands of Central Valley.

Aidan Pikas was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He struck out six batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Pikas was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, Jacob Sanchez made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-2.

Pacheco's loss dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Johansen, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Johansen has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pacheco struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Johansen might still be hurting after the 15-9 loss they got from Pacheco in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Johansen avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.