West hasn't had much luck against St. Mary recently, but that could start to change on Monday. West will challenge St. Mary's at 4:00 p.m. West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
West will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs last Tuesday, then bounced right back against Waterford on Friday. West's pitchers stepped up to hand Waterford a 10-0 shutout. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Wolfpack as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Tyler Armstrong made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024.
Julian Salsedo
| 02/28/25 vs Chavez | 4 |
| 03/21/25 vs Waterford | 2 |
| 02/26/25 @ Weston Ranch | 2 |
| 02/24/25 vs Lathrop | 2 |
| 02/21/25 @ Lathrop | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julian Salsedo, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one triple. He has become a key player for West: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4-1 otherwise. Austin Hatcher also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but St. Mary's ultimately got the result they hoped for last Tuesday. They walked away with a 4-1 win over De La Salle.
Tanner Grove spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on one hit and racked up ten Ks. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in May of 2024.
On the hitting side, St. Mary's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Minh Vu, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Brady Errecart was another, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
St. Mary's has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. West's record is now 4-5-1.
West's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. West has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for St. Mary's, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will West continue to outrun the ball?
West might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from St. Mary's when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can West avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
