The Highland Bulldogs will head out on the road to square off against the Paraclete Spirits at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Highland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Highland's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Antelope Valley as they made off with a 19-0 victory. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Antelopes recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Nick Leon made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Cole Studt was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. Wilson Jake was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Highland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .682. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Paraclete didn't have quite enough to beat Bishop Alemany on Monday and fell 6-4. The Spirits have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Paraclete also got a good showing from Anthony Hernandez, who tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hernandez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Paraclete saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Armando Saucedo, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Paraclete's defeat dropped their record down to 7-12. As for Highland, their record is now 13-7-1.
Paraclete's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Highland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. It's a different story for Paraclete, though, as they've only averaged .357. Will they be able to contain Highland's hitters?
Highland came out on top in a nail-biter against Paraclete in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
