The Foothills Christian Knights will square off against the Tri-City Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Foothills Christian's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Tri-City Christian's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Foothills Christian earned a 7-2 victory over Orange Glen. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Knights.
Jr Merino
| 05/09/25 @ Orange Glen | 6 |
| 05/07/25 vs Orange Glen | 1 |
| 05/02/25 @ Coastal Academy | 2 |
| 04/30/25 vs Coastal Academy | 1 |
| 04/25/25 @ Calvin Christian | 3 |
| + 10 more games |
Jr Merino made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Foothills Christian's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 11-12 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Johannes Jansen Granillo and Jonah Nottoli did most of the damage at the plate: Jansen Granillo got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Nottoli went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Foothills Christian is undefeated when Nottoli posts two or more runs, but 10-12 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Tri-City Christian played in-conference for the first time on Monday and got just the result they were looking for. Everything went their way against Calvin Christian as they made off with a 15-2 win. The Eagles not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 17th (when they won 18-1).
Like Foothills Christian, Tri-City Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Preston Chang. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Chang has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sam Denning was a standout: he got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ryan Scheidnes, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI and two runs.
Tri-City Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .689. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Tri-City Christian's victory ended a nine-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-13. As for Foothills Christian, their win bumped their record up to 14-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foothills Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tri-City Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Foothills Christian took their victory against Tri-City Christian when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 8-1 score. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
