Orland hasn't had much luck against Gridley recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Trojans will take on the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Orland turned things around against Grace Davis on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out the Spartans 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Trojans have posted since April 4th.
Victor Guerrero
| 04/11/25 @ Corning | 3 |
| 04/24/25 vs Grace Davis | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Oroville | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Oroville | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ University Prep | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
Victor Guerrero was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Guerrero was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Orland: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-11 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dominic Pacheco, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Orland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Gridley had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They walked away with a 6-2 win over the Cardinals.
Aceson Gomez was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Richard Villalobos also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
The victory got Orland back to even at 11-11. As for Gridley, their record now sits at 15-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Orland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gridley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Orland couldn't quite get it done against Gridley in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
