For the first time this season, Linden will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Tuesday. We've got a battle between Lions coming up. Their pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Big Valley Christian's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Linden was handed a seven-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Tokay.
Justin Sales
| 03/07/25 @ Liberty Ranch | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Tokay | 1 |
| 02/18/25 @ Escalon | 1 |
Justin Sales tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Linden is 4-1 when Sales allowsone or fewer earned runs, but 1-2 otherwise.
At the plate, Braden Busalacchi was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Big Valley Christian came up short against Summerville on Thursday and fell 7-4. The loss continues a trend for the Lions in their meetings with the Bears: they've now lost five in a row.
Jackson Howell put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Howell is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season.
In other batting news, Alex Avila made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 3-for-4. Those hits marked the first that he got this season.
Linden has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. Big Valley Christian now has a losing record of 2-3-1.
Everything went Linden's way against Big Valley Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2023, as Linden made off with an 8-0 victory. Does Linden have another victory up their sleeve, or will Big Valley Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
