The Lucerne Valley Mustangs will head out to take on the Trona Tornadoes at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Lucerne Valley has now lost eight straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since March 14.
Lucerne Valley came up short against Cobalt Institute of Math & Science Academy on Friday, falling 22-2.
Lucerne Valley saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was David Diaz, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI. Dusty Ward also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Thursday Trona sidestepped Lee Vining for a 9-8 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tornadoes have posted against the Tigers since April 9, 2019.
Izaias Horta made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Horta was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two triples and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aj Celaya, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Johnny Meraz was another key player, going 1-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Trona's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4-1. As for Lucerne Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 2-9.
Trona's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lucerne Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. It's a different story for Trona, though, as they've only averaged .343. Will they be able to contain Lucerne Valley's hitters?
Lucerne Valley beat Trona 7-4 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
