The Clairemont Chieftains will challenge the Steele Canyon Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Clairemont comes in on five and Steele Canyon on three.
On Friday, Clairemont beat Classical Academy 5-1.
Diego Matsumoto spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on six hits.
On the hitting side, Luis Murrieta was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Nate Kelly, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Clairemont kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Steele Canyon hadn't done well against Grossmont recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Cougars never let the Foothillers get on the board and left with a 4-0 win.
Hunter Haase tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Steele Canyon is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-9 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jonah Arens, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
Clairemont's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Steele Canyon, their victory bumped their record up to 6-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Clairemont has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Steele Canyon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Clairemont suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Steele Canyon when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Will the Chieftains have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
