Baseball Game Preview: Lucerne Valley Mustangs vs. Academy for Academic Excellence Knights

For the second straight game, Lucerne Valley will face off against Academy for Academic Excellence. The Mustangs are taking a road trip to face off against the Knights at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Lucerne Valley is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.

Lucerne Valley came up short against Academy for Academic Excellence on Tuesday, falling 13-1. The match marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

For Academy for Academic Excellence's part, Aiden Carmona made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Carmona has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024.

In other batting news, Gavin Ripley was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathan Rudd, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4.

Academy for Academic Excellence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Lucerne Valley's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Academy for Academic Excellence, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-9.