The Belen Jesuit Wolverines will challenge the Sunset Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Belen Jesuit's pitching crew has only allowed 4.1 runs per game this season, so Sunset's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Belen Jesuit fell victim to Canterbury and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cougars. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Wolverines' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Marcelo Llorente was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March.
Meanwhile, Sunset earned a 9-4 win over Coral Reef on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Knights.
Jacob Diamond looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February.
On the hitting side, AJ Cruz was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Sunset: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least one home run, but 6-10 otherwise. Julio Gonzalez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Sunset's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-11. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Belen Jesuit, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-11 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Belen Jesuit hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Sunset struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Belen Jesuit suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Sunset in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Wolverines avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
