Bentworth is 2-8 against California since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Bearcats are taking a road trip to take on the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bentworth will bounce into Monday's match after beating Chartiers-Houston, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Bearcats came out on top against the Buccaneers by a score of 6-3 on Wednesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bearcats as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Sam Wade
| 04/09/25 @ Chartiers-Houston | 9 |
| 03/25/25 vs Frazier | 7 |
| 03/28/24 @ Washington | 7 |
| 04/09/24 @ Charleroi | 6 |
| 05/09/24 vs West Greene | 4 |
Sam Wade made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That double marked the first that he hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lucas Burt, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. Bentworth is 2-1 when Burt posts two or more runs, but 0-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Hayes, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Bentworth was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, California waltzed into their game on Wednesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 10-6 win over the Bulldogs.
Like Bentworth, California also got a great game from a two-way player: Weston Monticelli. He pitched 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Monticelli was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Kaden Weston was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-5. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Caden Monticelli, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
California's record now sits at 3-4-1. As for Bentworth, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bentworth has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like California struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bentworth might still be hurting after the 14-7 loss they got from California when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Bearcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
