Baseball Game Preview: Riverbank Bruins vs. Linden Lions

Riverbank hasn't had much luck against Linden recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bruins will head out on the road to take on the Lions at 4:00 p.m. Riverbank has given up an average of 9.9 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Riverbank is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 23rd straight game dating back to last season on Tuesday. They lost 13-2 to Calaveras.

Riverbank saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Esteban Ruiz, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Linden waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with 12 straight wins... but they left with 13. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Bears a 3-0 shutout.

The team relied heavily on Brody Black, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one double. Cody Cox was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

Linden pushed their record up to 20-4 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Riverbank, their loss dropped their record down to 0-18.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Riverbank has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Linden struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Riverbank suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Linden when the teams last played on April 4th. Can the Bruins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.