Baseball Game Preview: Pinole Valley Spartans vs. Justin-Siena Braves

The Pinole Valley Spartans will face off against the Justin-Siena Braves at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pinole Valley is looking for their season's first win.

Pinole Valley blew Bishop O'Dowd out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Bishop O'Dowd got their revenge. Pinole Valley fell just short of Bishop O'Dowd by a score of 3-1.

Pinole Valley saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Juan Vargas, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Justin-Siena fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Rodriguez on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 10-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mustangs. The game marked the Braves' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Tommy Malloy made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jake Fletcher, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Justin-Siena's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 5-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 12 runs. As for Pinole Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pinole Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Justin-Siena struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Pinole Valley couldn't quite get it done against Justin-Siena when the teams last played back in March of 2020 as they fell 10-6. Can Pinole Valley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.