The Cerritos Dons will face off against the St. Anthony Saints at 3:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Cerritos gave up the first runs on Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They won by a run and slipped past Long Beach Poly 6-5. The victory continues a trend for the Dons in their matchups with the Jackrabbits: they've now won four in a row.
Uriah Archie looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits.
On the hitting side, Cerritos' win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Josh Malonzo, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but St. Anthony ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Ontario Christian 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Saints have posted since May 27, 2025.
Aidann Ruiz made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Nick Galluccio was incredible, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Owen Frazier was another key player, getting on base in three of his six plate appearances with one RBI.
St. Anthony's win bumped their record up to 4-2-1. As for Cerritos, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cerritos has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Anthony struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cerritos skirted past St. Anthony 8-7 in their previous meeting back in February of 2025. Do the Dons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Saints turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
