The Capuchino Mustangs will challenge the Leigh Longhorns at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Capuchino will bounce into Saturday's matchup after beating Burlingame, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Mustangs never let the Panthers get on the board and left with a 3-0 win last Wednesday.
Declan Mendel tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Anakin Manuel was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Leigh, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They put the hurt on Scotts Valley with a sharp 10-1 victory on Saturday. Considering the Longhorns have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Tyler Wagner looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gio Olvera, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Marcus Garcia was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Leigh always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Scotts Valley only posted an OBP of .250.
Capuchino has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Leigh, they pushed their record up to 21-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Capuchino hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. However, it's not like Leigh struggles in that department as they've averaged .374. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
