The Colton Yellowjackets will face off against the Bloomington Bruins at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Colton took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Arroyo Valley a 5-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Yellowjackets in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won three in a row.
Evan Darrington
| 03/14/26 vs Arroyo Valley | 2 |
| 03/05/26 vs Ontario | 2 |
| 03/03/26 @ Jurupa Valley | 2 |
| 02/26/26 vs Vista del Lago | 2 |
| 03/02/26 @ Beaumont | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
The team relied heavily on Evan Darrington, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Colton: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Christian Ruiz, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Colton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Arroyo Valley only posted an OBP of .167.
While Bloomington 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. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Eisenhower 2-1.
Andrew Lira tossed a big game, pitching 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
At the plate, Nathan Martin was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI. Isaac Martin was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Colton's victory bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Bloomington, their win bumped their record up to 9-2.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Colton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Bloomington struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Colton got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2023 against Bloomington by a conclusive 10-4 score. Do the Yellowjackets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bruins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
