Baseball Game Preview: Santa Paula Cardinals vs. Kennedy Cougars

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Santa Paula Cardinals challenge Kennedy Cougars at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Things were looking good for Santa Paula after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Channel Islands by a score of 6-5.

Jesse Chavez was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Isaak Medina, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Kennedy fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against San Fernando on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They lost 11-4 to the Tigers. The Cougars just can't catch a break and have now endured three losses in a row.

Kennedy also got a good showing from Jay Carmona, who tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. Carmona has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.

On the hitting side, Vetea Feliciano made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Alonso Ortiz was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Kennedy's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Santa Paula, they dropped their record down to 2-8 with the loss, which was their fifth straight on the road.