Baseball Game Preview: Jal Panthers vs. Santa Rosa Lions

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Jal Panthers take on Santa Rosa Lions at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

Last Monday, Jal narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Lovington 10-9.

Jal got a massive performance out of Cash Taylor, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs Taylor has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Javier Santillan, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Santa Rosa). They were the clear victors by a 27-11 margin over Melrose on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Buffaloes: they've now won three in a row.

Joshua Cordova was a standout: he scored six runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all six of his plate appearances. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.2 runs per game. David Chavez was another key player, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with seven RBI, three runs, and one stolen base.

Santa Rosa kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. They got seven more hits than Melrose's also-impressive total of 11.

The win got Jal back to even at 2-2. As for Santa Rosa, the victory also got them back to even at 2-2.

Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jal has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .507. However, it's not like Santa Rosa struggles in that department as they've averaged .596. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.