The Ventura Cougars will head out to take on the Foothill Tech Dragons at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Ventura is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
Ventura is headed into the game having just suffered their closest defeat since February 21st on Friday. They fell just short of Buena by a score of 9-7.
Lucas Lombardo was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Kyle Godwin also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Foothill Tech came into Monday's matchup having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Channel Islands with a sharp 8-1 win on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Dragons, who have now won six contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Connor Nelles spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Foothill Tech is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-6 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Robert Juker and Shane White did most of the damage at the plate: Juker went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while White went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most hits White has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Davin Arth, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Ventura's loss dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Foothill Tech, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ventura has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Foothill Tech struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Ventura's way against Foothill Tech in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, as Ventura made off with an 18-2 win. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Dragons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
