Montclair had lost three straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 8-6-1 to make it four. They took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Rowland Raiders. The Cavaliers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Raiders apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2025.
Montclair saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Michael Lara, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
As for Rowland, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season. While they didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
On Rowland's side, Jose Valadez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits. Valadez has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Nathanael Li was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2025. Alfred Vergara also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Montclair wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 2-0 win against Vista del Lago on the 28th. As for Rowland, they will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Charter Oak at 3:30 p.m. on the 8th. The game will give the Raiders their first taste of in-conference action this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
