Caldera will venture away from home to face off against the South Salem Saxons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Caldera turned things around against Crook County on Tuesday. They blew past the Cowboys 14-3.
Carson Downing made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Downing was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. That stolen base marked the first that he snagged this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Camden Hartlaub, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Aiden Brieger, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Caldera was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, South Salem strolled into their game on Wednesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They put the hurt on Lakeridge with a sharp 10-4 victory. Considering the Saxons have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Sawyer Nelson was a standout: he fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Kevin Semm was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
South Salem pushed their record up to 9-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Caldera, they picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 2-4.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Caldera has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like South Salem struggles in that department as they've averaged .500. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
