Baseball Game Preview: Hamilton Bobcats vs. Santa Rosa Academy Rangers

Hamilton hasn't had much luck against Santa Rosa Academy recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bobcats will face off against the Rangers at 3:15 p.m. Hamilton will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.

On Wednesday, Hamilton didn't have quite enough to beat Desert Christian Academy and fell 13-12. Even though they lost, the Bobcats' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.2 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Andrew Salgado made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Alex Velasquez also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Santa Rosa Academy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They came up short against Temecula Prep, falling 10-1. Rangers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Patriots since on Monday.

Santa Rosa Academy saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Morace, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base. Morace is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played.

Hamilton's defeat dropped their record down to 5-13. As for Santa Rosa Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 8-12.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hamilton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Santa Rosa Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Hamilton suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to Santa Rosa Academy in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.