The Hoover Patriots will head out to take on the Hanford Bullpups at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hoover is coming into the contest hot, having won their last nine games.
Hoover is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Selma by a score of 7-2.
Logan Cunningham made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits. Cunningham was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Those two hits gave him a new career-high.
Chris Herrera
| 05/16/25 @ Selma | 2 |
| 05/09/25 @ Sunnyside | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs Madera South | 2 |
In other batting news, Hoover let Chris Herrera and Lashawn Carey run wild. Herrera went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Carey went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Herrera has posted since back in April.
Hoover was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hanford, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They came out on top against Independence on Friday by a score of 8-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Cole Leskanic was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 4.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Aiden Smith was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Manny Souza, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Hoover pushed their record up to 18-8 with the win, which was their ninth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Hanford, the win got them back to even at 14-14.
Hoover skirted past Hanford 1-0 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Bullpups have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
