Tri-City Christian extended their losing streak to 11 on Friday, dropping their season record down to 2-11 in the process. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-4 heartbreaker at the hands of the Orange Glen Patriots. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Patriots this season, with their most recent defeat being a 8-5 loss on Wednesday.
Jace Croke made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Sam Denning, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
As for Orange Glen, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win they have posted against Tri-City Christian since May 12, 2021.
On Orange Glen's side, Jacob Morales made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off five hits. Morales is becoming a predictor of Orange Glen's success: when he posts at least ten strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 7-11 when he doesn't). Morales was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isaac Martinez, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with two runs. Orange Glen is 6-1 when Martinez posts two or more runs, but 4-10 otherwise. Adrian Garcia was another key player, getting on base in three of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases and one double.
Coming up, Tri-City Christian will host Pacific Ridge at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The Eagles' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Firebirds have averaged an impressive 7.8 runs per game this season. As for Orange Glen, they will head out to take on Foothills Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Knights' pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so the Patriots' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps