The McClatchy Lions will take on the Elk Grove Thundering Herd at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. McClatchy is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
McClatchy's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Cordova with a sharp 8-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won three games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Ari Silva was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Antonio Barber
| 03/11/25 @ Cordova | 2 |
| 03/05/25 @ Bear Creek | 1 |
| 03/03/25 @ Franklin | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Bishop O'Dowd | 1 |
| 02/25/25 vs Vacaville | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Yuba City | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Antonio Barber, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last six games he's played. Gabe Coronado also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Elk Grove sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over Davis Sr. on Tuesday. The Thundering Herd haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Cooper Gannon tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Elk Grove is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 1-2 otherwise.
At the plate, Brent Martin was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Matt Soares, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
McClatchy pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Elk Grove, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
Elk Grove's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: McClatchy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .483. It's a different story for Elk Grove, though, as they've only averaged .326. Will they be able to contain McClatchy's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
