Paraclete had won three straight at home, but on Thursday they bumped their record up to 8-12 to make it four. They walked away with a 5-2 victory over the Highland Bulldogs. For the Spirits, this counts as revenge for the 6-5 win the Bulldogs walked away with the last time they faced one another back in April of 2024.
Mason Jacobo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up six Ks. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Paraclete is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 6-11 otherwise.
Armando Saucedo
| 04/17/25 vs Highland | 2 |
| 02/24/25 vs Saugus | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Cleveland | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Bishop Alemany | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs St. Paul | 1 |
| + 9 more games |
On the hitting side, Armando Saucedo was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. He has become a key player for Paraclete: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-12 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jesse Hernandez, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Paraclete hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Highland struck out six times.
As for Highland, their loss dropped their record down to 13-8-1. Having soared to a lofty 19 runs in the game before, they couldn't push the score so high this time.
On Highland's side, Victor Hernandez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Hernandez has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Highland saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Colton Booterbaugh, who went 2-for-3 with one home run. That home run was Booterbaugh's first of the season.
Coming up, Paraclete will square off against Bishop Amat at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Lancers will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something the Spirits surely won't give up without a fight. As for Highland, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against Antelope Valley at 3:15 p.m. The Bulldogs are facing the Antelopes at the right time seeing as the Antelopes are stuck on a nine-game losing streak.
