The Redwood Giants will venture away from home to square off against the Petaluma Trojans at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Redwood's pitching crew has only allowed 3.3 runs per game this season, so Petaluma's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Redwood took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Saint Francis 4-3.
Jake Post looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Redwood's win was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Sam Gersch, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Miles Harrison was another, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Petaluma). They were the clear victors by an 18-1 margin over American Canyon on Thursday. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by six runs or more this season.
Arlo Pendleton made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Pendleton was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rowan Ball, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. James Dole also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Petaluma kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive contests.
Redwood's record now sits at 12-8-1. As for Petaluma, their record is now 16-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Redwood has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Petaluma struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Redwood came out on top in a nail-biter against Petaluma in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Do the Giants have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
