The Cate Rams will challenge the Academy of Careers & Exploration Eagle at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Cate made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Valley Christian Academy, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Cate was the clear victor by a 19-12 margin over Valley Christian Academy on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.
Cate let Noah Casbarro and Peter Lehman run wild. Casbarro scored five runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all six of his plate appearances, while Lehman fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-5. What's more, Casbarro posted two doubles, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Alejandro Sandoval, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Academy of Careers & Exploration). Everything went their way against Lucerne Valley on Friday as Academy of Careers & Exploration made off with a 20-3 win. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Thomas Koupeny and Thomas Martinez made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Koupeny pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Martinez struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off one hit. What's more, Koupeny gave up only zero walks, the fewest he's had since back in March of 2024. At bat, Koupeny went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI, while Martinez scored three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Jeremy Stevens and Andre Randall did most of the damage at the plate: Stevens scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Randall scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Carlo Calhoun, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Academy of Careers & Exploration always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .711. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lucerne Valley only posted an OBP of .435.
Cate now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Academy of Careers & Exploration, their win bumped their record up to 3-6.
Cate might still be hurting after the 9-0 loss they got from Academy of Careers & Exploration in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will Cate have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
