Santa Clara hasn't had much luck against Grace recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Saints will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lancers at 11:00 a.m.
Santa Clara made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Dunn, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Saints fell just short of the Earwigs by a score of 7-5 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Saints have suffered against the Earwigs since May 19, 2021.
Lucas Mendez was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 1-for-3 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Christopher Alcala was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Ambriz, who went 1-for-4 with three stolen bases and one double.
Meanwhile, Grace can bid farewell to their six-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Thacher 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Lancers have posted since April 18, 2024.
Rudy Gargiulo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Jake Barrett was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Grace's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-9-2 when he doesn't). Alex Van was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
This is the second loss in a row for Santa Clara and nudges their season record down to 1-13. As for Grace, their victory bumped their record up to 8-9-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Santa Clara has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grace struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Santa Clara suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Grace when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Saints avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
