The Central Catholic Raiders will take on the Manteca Buffaloes at 7:15 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Central Catholic 2, Manteca 1.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Central Catholic is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Wednesday, they were much more limited against East Union on Friday. They took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lancers. The contest marked the Raiders' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Central Catholic saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hudson Walker, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Manteca put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Sierra 12-3. The Buffaloes might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by eight runs or more this season.
Jimmy Burns made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Manteca let Nate Slikker and Devon Richardson run wild. Slikker went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base, while Richardson went 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave Richardson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Navarro, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Manteca was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .378. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .355 or higher in four consecutive matchups.
Manteca's victory bumped their record up to 9-0. As for Central Catholic, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
Central Catholic's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's contest. The Raiders have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Manteca, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Central Catholic continue to outrun the ball?
Central Catholic beat Manteca 5-1 in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buffaloes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
