Baseball Game Preview: Reed Raiders vs. Damonte Ranch Mustangs

The Reed Raiders will take on the Damonte Ranch Mustangs at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Reed will be strutting in after a win while Damonte Ranch will be coming in after a defeat.

Reed had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Sunny Hills on Wednesday. Reed was the clear victor by a 10-1 margin over Sunny Hills. The contest marked the Raiders' most dominant victory of the season so far.

Jayden Peters

Earned Runs

02/28/25 @ Silverado	7
03/11/25 vs Bishop Manogue	2
03/19/25 vs Sunny Hills	1

Jayden Peters spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits. He has become a key player for Reed: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-5 otherwise.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Luke Goddard, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Michael Matthews also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

Meanwhile, Damonte Ranch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They came up short against Willow Canyon, falling 11-2.

Damonte Ranch saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Topher Shirley, who went 2-for-4 with one double.

Damonte Ranch's defeat dropped their record down to 1-6. As for Reed, the win got them back to even at 6-6.

Damonte Ranch's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Reed has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Damonte Ranch, though, as they've been averaging only 3.9 strikeouts. Will Reed keep running through batters, or will Damonte Ranch buck the trend?

Reed took their victory against Damonte Ranch in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-3. Will Reed repeat their success, or does Damonte Ranch has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.