Baseball Recap: Sparks Comes Up Short

Sparks extended their losing streak to ten on Saturday, dropping their season record down to 1-21 in the process. They came up short against the North Valleys Panthers, falling 18-0. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, with their most recent loss being a 15-0 defeat on Saturday.

As for North Valleys, they pushed their record up to 17-5 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games.

For North Valleys' part, Caden Birch made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Birch has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.

In other batting news, Zach Clarke was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Alejandro Urbina also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.

Sparks has already played their next game, a 10-0 defeat against South Tahoe on the 23rd. As for North Valleys, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, a 15-0 win against Wooster on the 23rd.