The Big Bear Bears will face off against the Riverside Prep Silver Knights at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Big Bear took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They skirted past Hesperia Christian 12-11.
The team relied heavily on Kobe Alvarez, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Chase Wilson, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Riverside Prep). Everything went their way against University Prep on Thursday as they made off with a 25-1 victory. The Silver Knights haven't had any issues with the Jaguars recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Riverside Prep got several good pitching performances, but Thomas Salazar was perhaps the best, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Salazar has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one walk in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Victor Herrera and Ethyn Beltran did most of the damage at the plate: Herrera went 4-for-6 with four runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Beltran got on base in four of his six plate appearances with four runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Andrew Logsdon, who got on base in four of his six plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI.
Riverside Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .607. They are 8-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Big Bear now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Riverside Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Big Bear has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like Riverside Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .471. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Big Bear suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Riverside Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
