The Villa Park Spartans are taking a road trip to square off against the Canyon Comanches at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The last six games Villa Park has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Friday, it was close, but Villa Park sidestepped Capistrano Valley for a 3-1 victory.
Owen Smith looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Villa Park's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Shawn Romero, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Canyon had just enough and edged out El Modena 5-4 on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Comanches.
Alex Clovery and Cooper Stevenson dominated on the mound. Clovery pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits, while Stevenson tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. What's more, Clovery posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
Villa Park has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.67 runs across that stretch. Canyon pushed their record up to 8-4 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Villa Park has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Canyon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Villa Park was able to grind out a solid win over Canyon in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, winning 3-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Villa Park since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
