The Summit Shasta Black Bears will venture away from home to take on the Design Tech Dragons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Summit Shasta will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Summit Tahoma on Wednesday. The Black Bears blew past the Tigers 16-4. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Black Bears as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Aaron Mendoza
| 05/06/26 @ Summit Tahoma | 7 |
| 04/24/26 vs North Valley Baptist | 4 |
| 03/05/26 @ Monta Vista | 2 |
| 04/17/26 vs Pinewood | 1 |
Aaron Mendoza made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs.
In other batting news, Summit Shasta got a massive performance out of LeBryan Marcial, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Marcial has become a key player for the Black Bears: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 4-8 otherwise. Dean Nunan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and one RBI.
Summit Shasta always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Summit Tahoma only posted an OBP of .370.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Design Tech). They never let Summit Shasta get on the board and left with a 22-0 victory. The Dragons haven't had any issues with the Black Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Like Summit Shasta, Design Tech also got a great game from a two-way player: Reilly Sutton. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over 4.2 innings pitched. Sutton was also solid in the batter's box, earning two RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, Aidan Tom was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Josiah Hernandez, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Design Tech's record is now 12-6-1. As for Summit Shasta, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Summit Shasta hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Design Tech struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Summit Shasta might still be hurting after the 22-0 defeat they got from Design Tech when the teams last played on Tuesday. Can the Black Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
