Foothill hasn't had much luck against Chico recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Foothill is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
Foothill will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Red Bluff, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Cougars came out on top in a nail-biter against the Spartans two weeks ago, sneaking past 5-3.
Foothill let Bill Duchi and Brycen Thomas run wild. Duchi went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base, while Thomas went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run. That's the most runs Duchi has posted since back in March.
Foothill hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Red Bluff struck out seven times.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Chico had no trouble coming through when it counted. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Enterprise a 10-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 games by six runs or more this season.
Vinny Boatwright tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jorden Neugebauer and Guiseppe Bianchi did most of the damage at the plate: Neugebauer went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double, while Bianchi went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaxxon Tweedt, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Chico's win bumped their record up to 19-8. As for Foothill, their victory bumped their record up to 20-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foothill has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chico struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Foothill came up short against Chico in their previous matchup back in March, falling 5-1. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
