Granite Hills hasn't had much luck against Barstow recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Cougars will square off against the Aztecs at 3:15 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Granite Hills took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Miller. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by six runs or more this season.
Granite Hills got a great performance from Seth Christenson as he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Granite Hills let Travon Jackson Jr and Isaiah Mayorga run wild. Jackson Jr went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run, while Mayorga went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two runs gave Mayorga a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Paul Watts, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Granite Hills always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Barstow not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since March 27th (when they won 18-8). They put the hurt on Silverado with a sharp 15-7 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Aztecs as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Noah Gudino made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. He is becoming a predictor of Barstow's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 3-1 (and 4-11 when he doesn't). Gudino was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kekoa Samples, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Joshya Romero, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Barstow's record now sits at 7-12. As for Granite Hills, with the victory, they broke their four-game losing streak and moved their record to 13-8.
Granite Hills was able to grind out a solid win over Barstow in their previous meeting back in April, winning 6-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
