Baseball Preview: Excel Christian Warriors vs. Virginia City Muckers
Excel Christian is 0-5 against Virginia City since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Excel Christian Warriors will head out on the road to take on the Virginia City Muckers at 10:00 a.m. The pair are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Excel Christian took a loss when they played away from home back in March, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Coleville 14-4. The high-scoring effort was just what Excel Christian needed considering they were shutout in their previous matchup.
Jonah Calderas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Calderas has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive pitching appearances. Calderas was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Tommy Schoech was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Cole Gassen was another key contributor, going 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Virginia City gave their fans yet another huge win on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 12-1 margin over Pyramid Lake. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Virginia City.
Like Excel Christian, Virginia City also got a great game from a two-way player: JJ Alvear. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned run or hits while striking out 17 over six innings pitched. Alvear was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Angel Hipolito, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Brody Alston, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Excel Christian's record now sits at 3-6. As for Virginia City, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Excel Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .547. However, it's not like Virginia City struggles in that department as they've averaged .502. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Excel Christian suffered a grim 15-7 defeat to Virginia City when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Can Excel Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
