The Alonso Ravens will head out on the road to take on the Strawberry Crest Chargers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Alonso's pitching crew has only allowed 2.5 runs per game this season, so Strawberry Crest's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Alonso saw some tournament action on Saturday. They came out on top against Lennard by a score of 7-3.
Alonso got a great performance from Elier Velazquez as he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave Velazquez a new career-high in strikeouts (two).
At the plate, Alonso saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bryan Alonso, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Aidan Sansing also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Strawberry Crest, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 17-7 margin over Sumner on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Chargers, who have now won six contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Reuben Vasquez was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Matt Hall, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-3.
Strawberry Crest always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .688. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Strawberry Crest's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8 runs. As for Alonso, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Alonso has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Strawberry Crest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Alonso came out on top in a nail-biter against Strawberry Crest in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Alonso since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
