Rubidoux extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping them down to 8-11. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 10-9 heartbreaker at the hands of the Ramona Rams. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Rams this season, with their most recent defeat being a 13-2 loss on Wednesday.
Carlos Encinas was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Those runs marked the first that he has scored this season. Noah Sanchez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
As for Ramona, the victory (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 16-7. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games.
On Ramona's side, Matthew Engelking made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. The dominant performance also gave Engelking a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Adam Hurtado was incredible, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Anthony Avina, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Rubidoux will face off against rival La Sierra at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ramona is set to challenge their familiar foe Patriot at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
