The Los Banos Tigers will face off against the Placer Hillmen at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Los Banos is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They skirted past Ceres 10-8. The game was the first time the Tigers have beaten the Bulldogs on their field since March 30, 2022.
Mya Arista spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits.
Gracie Orozco
| 05/14/25 @ Ceres | 3 |
| 03/18/25 @ El Capitan | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Dos Palos | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ El Capitan | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Golden Valley | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gracie Orozco, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Shayla Hernandez, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Placer hadn't done well against Oakmont recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Hillmen walked away with a 5-2 win over the Vikings. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Hillmen.
Sydney Nitta made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Nitta was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Olivia Thornton was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Los Banos' record is now 11-14. As for Placer, their record now sits at 17-6.
Los Banos took their victory against Placer in their previous meeting back in May of 2016 by a conclusive 9-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
