The Sherman Oaks CES Knights will face off against the King/Drew Golden Eagles at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Sherman Oaks CES comes in on seven and King/Drew on four.
Sherman Oaks CES is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Arleta by a score of 11-8.
Nicholas Bilicic made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Bilicic wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Colin Hauser, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Liam Clinger was another, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, King/Drew beat Fremont 6-1 on Thursday.
Like Sherman Oaks CES, King/Drew also got a great game from a two-way player: Hades Carranza. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Carranza was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
King/Drew's win bumped their record up to 16-4. As for Sherman Oaks CES, their victory bumped their record up to 14-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sherman Oaks CES has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like King/Drew struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sherman Oaks CES took their win against King/Drew when the teams last played back in March of 2019 by a conclusive 14-4 score. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Golden Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
