North Valleys is a perfect 8-0 against Lowry since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Panthers will welcome the Buckaroos at 4:00 p.m. North Valleys is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
North Valleys is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Hug on Wednesday as they made off with an 18-5 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Carlos Cordova and Zach Clarke made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Cordova tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Clarke tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. At bat, Cordova went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Clarke went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that Cordova hit this season.
Caden Birch
| 04/09/25 @ Hug | 5 |
| 04/05/25 @ Wooster | 4 |
| 03/22/25 vs South Tahoe | 3 |
| 04/27/24 vs Wooster | 3 |
| 04/27/24 vs Wooster | 3 |
In other batting news, Caden Birch was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing five bases while going 2-for-5. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Birch, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
North Valleys kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Lowry and Fernley meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again two weeks ago. The Buckaroos walked away with a 6-1 victory over the Vaqueros. The win continues a trend for the Buckaroos in their matchups with the Vaqueros: they've now won three in a row.
Matthew Casalez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on eight hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Erick Valencia, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Lowry is 5-1 when Valencia posts two or more runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Michael Heikkila, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Lowry pushed their record up to 9-7 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for North Valleys, their victory bumped their record up to 12-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Valleys has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Lowry struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Valleys came out on top in a nail-biter against Lowry when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 6-5. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buckaroos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
