Nipomo hasn't had much luck against Lompoc recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Titans will host the Braves at 1:00 p.m. Neither Nipomo nor Lompoc posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Nipomo fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Santa Maria on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Saints by a score of 2-1. Surprisingly, this marked the Titans' third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Logan Hobbs was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other pitching news, Ethan Silveira was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits.
Hobbs wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Chase Moulden, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that Moulden has snagged this season.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Lompoc's offense. They came up short against Cabrillo on Friday, falling 10-0. The Braves' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Lompoc's loss dropped their record down to 9-6. As for Nipomo, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
Lompoc's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Nipomo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. It's a different story for Lompoc, though, as they've only averaged .228. Will they be able to contain Nipomo's hitters?
Nipomo might still be hurting after the 20-3 defeat they got from Lompoc when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can the Titans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
