Mark Keppel is 0-10 against Montebello since March of 2022 but things could change on Tuesday. Mark Keppel will venture away from home to face off against Montebello at 3:30 p.m.
On Friday, Mark Keppel didn't have quite enough to beat Bell Gardens and fell 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Aztecs have lost by just one run.
Meanwhile, Montebello had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.2 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. They never let the Matadors get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. Considering the Oilers have won four matches by more than ten runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Isaiah Cervantes and Manny Arana made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Cervantes tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Arana pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Cervantes posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. At bat, Cervantes scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Arana scored two runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Isaac Solorzano looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Montebello got a massive performance out of Nathan Ibarra, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four RBI gave Ibarra a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Aaron Vallejo, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-2.
Montebello always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .733. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Montebello's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Mark Keppel, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-10.
Mark Keppel suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Montebello in their previous matchup on March 6th. Can Mark Keppel avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
