The Van Nuys Wolves will head out on the road to face off against the Grant Lancers at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Van Nuys' pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Grant's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Van Nuys' usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Saturday's struggle, when Serra hitters got past them. The Wolves came up short against the Cavaliers on Saturday, falling 13-2. The Wolves have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Van Nuys saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kevin Mata, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Grant got the win against Arleta on Friday by a conclusive 10-4. Considering the Lancers have won five matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Damian Gonzalez made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits (and only one walk). Gonzalez was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sonny Robledo was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jonathan Gonzalez, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Grant always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .622. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Grant and bumps their season record up to 10-5. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs in those games. As for Van Nuys, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Van Nuys has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grant struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Van Nuys suffered a grim 9-2 defeat to Grant when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Wolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
