Pumas
| 04/01/25 @ Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy | 8 |
| 03/28/25 @ Impact Academy of Arts & Technology | 16 |
| 03/26/25 @ Leadership | 5 |
| 03/21/25 vs Mare Island Tech Academy | 7 |
| 03/05/25 @ KIPP King | 8 |
The Leadership Public Schools Richmond Pumas will challenge the KIPP King Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Leadership Public Schools Richmond is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
KIPP King will be up against a hot Leadership Public Schools Richmond team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Pumas sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy on Tuesday.
Rene Lopez made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 14 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Landon Grisby, who scored two runs and stole five bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Brayan Bustos, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask KIPP King). They blew past Leadership 27-8 on Wednesday. The Lions haven't had any issues with Leadership recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Gabriel Martinez was a standout: he scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-3. Manuel Sandoval Jr. was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and one run.
KIPP King kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 21 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Leadership Public Schools Richmond pushed their record up to 4-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for KIPP King, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Leadership Public Schools Richmond has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like KIPP King struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Leadership Public Schools Richmond skirted past KIPP King 8-7 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Pumas repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
