For the first time this season, Sandalwood will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Monday. They will host the Mandarin Mustangs at 10:30 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mandarin will be up against a hot Sandalwood team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Sandalwood was the clear victors by a 19-2 margin over Parker on Friday. With that victory, the Saints brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Bryce Foster looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Sandalwood let Preston Cox and Bane Barker run wild. Cox went 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Barker went 4-for-5 with five RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those five RBI gave Barker a new career-high. Andrew Detlefsen was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Sandalwood kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.8.
Meanwhile, Mandarin entered their tilt with Riverside on Friday with three consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with four. They blew past the Generals 19-2. The Mustangs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Aidan Dye looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, John Brooks and Justin Hawkins did most of the damage at the plate: Brooks scored three runs and stole Two bases. while going 4-for-4, while Hawkins scored three runs while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Cash Johnson, who scored two runs while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Mandarin's win bumped their record up to 6-7. As for Sandalwood, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.
Sandalwood came out on top in a nail-biter against Mandarin in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Will Sandalwood repeat their success, or does Mandarin have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
