For the first time this season, Patterson will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Monday. They will look to defend their home field against the Manteca Buffaloes at 3:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Patterson beat Buhach Colony 5-1. That looming 5-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Tigers yet this season.
Max Medina was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. Caden Lozano was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Patterson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Manteca). They blew past Ripon 18-2 on Friday. The Buffaloes have beaten the Indians the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Indians has come to flipping the script.
Manteca got a massive performance out of Nate Slikker, who scored four runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Those four runs gave Slikker a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Edward Anthony, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Patterson pushed their record up to 3-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Manteca, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Patterson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Manteca struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
