For the first time this season, Acalanes will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will head out on the road to square off against the Benicia Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Acalanes' pitching crew has only allowed 2.4 runs per game this season, so Benicia's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Acalanes made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Berkeley, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Dons were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Yellowjackets on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Dons, who have now won four games by six runs or more so far this season.
Gavin Beers looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Acalanes got a big performance out of Keegan Goddard, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Drew Asadorian was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Acalanes always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. The last time their OBP was this high was back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Benicia waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They walked away with a 4-1 win over the Gauchos.
Dominic Louro tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over six innings pitched.
At the plate, Nash Rubins and Jackson Habegger did most of the damage at the plate: Rubins went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI, while Habegger went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases. That triple was Rubins' first of the season.
Acalanes has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-2-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Benicia, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Acalanes has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Benicia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Acalanes skirted past Benicia 2-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Dons repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
