The Piedmont Highlanders will face off against the Berkeley Yellowjackets at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Piedmont's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Berkeley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Piedmont narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Castro Valley 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Highlanders have posted against the Trojans since March 23, 2018.
Piedmont's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jack Meyjes, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Berkeley made easy work of Arroyo on Thursday and carried off a 16-3 victory. That looming 16-3 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Yellowjackets yet this season.
Anthony Enrique Sotelo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Sotelo was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases and four RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Akanni Owodunni, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinton Hill, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and one triple.
Berkeley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Piedmont's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-6. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Berkeley, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-10.
Piedmont couldn't quite finish off Berkeley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 8-6. Can the Highlanders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
