The Tustin Tillers will take on the Laguna Hills Hawks at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Tustin is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
While Tustin's win against Calvary Chapel wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tillers narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Eagles 2-1.
Adam Whyte
| 05/02/25 @ Calvary Chapel | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Ocean View | 2 |
| 04/18/25 @ Fullerton | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Ocean View | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Laguna Hills | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
Adam Whyte spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Tustin's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Daniel Benally, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run. Dylan Benally also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous four game, Laguna Hills brought some dynamite into their most recent match. They blew past Calvary Chapel 16-3 on Monday. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Nic Park made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Laguna Hills is 8-4 when he allows at most three earned runs, but 6-8 otherwise. Park was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Damian Youngman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. He has become a key player for Laguna Hills: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 11-12 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Nathan Ivey, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Laguna Hills' win bumped their record up to 14-12. As for Tustin, their victory bumped their record up to 11-15-1.
Tustin beat Laguna Hills 5-2 when the teams last played back in April. Do the Tillers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
