Baseball Game Preview: Sunny Hills Lancers vs. Tustin Tillers

The Sunny Hills Lancers will head out to challenge the Tustin Tillers at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sunny Hills will be strutting in after a victory while Tustin will be coming in after a defeat.

Sunny Hills took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against Troy, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Lancers narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Warriors 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Lancers have posted against the Warriors since April 13, 2022.

Oliver Botch

Base on Balls Against

04/25/25 @ Troy	1
04/17/25 @ Brea Olinda	1
04/11/25 vs Sonora	0
04/07/25 @ South East	1
03/28/25 vs Covina	1
+ 3 more games

Andre Katayama and Oliver Botch were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Katayama didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over 4.2 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Botch pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Katayama got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run, while Botch went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits Botch has posted since back in March of 2024.

In other batting news, Mateo Ramirez was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February. Kaleb Siglar was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run.

Sunny Hills lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, while it was Tustin who put the first runs on the board on Friday, it was Ocean View who put up more. The Tillers fell just short of the Seahawks by a score of 5-4. The Tillers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Nyte Teeter made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI and one double.

Sunny Hills moved to 4-18 with that win, which also ended their five-game losing streak. As for Tustin, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-15-1.