The McClintock Chargers will head out to challenge the Glendale Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Thursday, McClintock made easy work of Metro Tech and carried off a 23-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Chargers in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won six in a row.
Javier Alvarado was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with one home run and two runs. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, McClintock let Lucas Wisehart and Markus Lopez run wild. Wisehart went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double, while Lopez went 1-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. That's the most runs Lopez has posted since back in March. Valiant Spanko also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
McClintock lost a few balls and finished the game with five home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Glendale hadn't done well against Independence recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Cardinals blew past the Patriots 21-11. The Cardinals not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 24th (when they won 25-2).
Ezekiel Trujillo was a standout: he went 4-for-6 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Glendale: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Leonardo Raygoza, who went 3-for-5 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI.
McClintock's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-8. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 23.3 runs over those games. As for Glendale, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. McClintock has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Glendale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went McClintock's way against Glendale when the teams last played back in February of 2018, as McClintock made off with a 13-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
