For the second straight game, Escondido Charter will face off against Calvin Christian. The Tigers will be playing at home against the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Escondido Charter has nine straight wins, Calvin Christian has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Calvin Christian's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Wednesday: Escondido Charter hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. The Tigers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Crusaders a 29-0 shutout on Monday. Considering the Tigers have won 11 contests by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Karl (Liam) Ricciardi and Sam Romero made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Ricciardi tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Romero pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. At the plate, Ricciardi went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, while Romero went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Joey Seavello, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with four runs and one RBI. Matthew Hydar was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Escondido Charter always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .554. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Calvin Christian only posted an OBP of .235.
Escondido Charter's victory was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.6 runs over those games. As for Calvin Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.
Calvin Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Escondido Charter has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .502. It's a different story for Calvin Christian, though, as they've only averaged .332. Will they be able to contain Escondido Charter's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
