San Marcos is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will host the Rio Mesa Spartans at 3:30 p.m. The last three games San Marcos has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Friday, San Marcos didn't have quite enough to beat Royal and fell 7-6. That's two games in a row now that the Royals have lost by just one run.
San Marcos got a good showing from Alexi Stegner, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Stegner has allowed since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Miles Herbert and Kieran Babai stepped up to the plate in a big way. Herbert scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Babai scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Herbert also put up an RBI, which was his first of the season.
Meanwhile, Rio Mesa didn't have quite enough to beat Camarillo on Saturday and fell 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Spartans have lost by just one run.
Rio Mesa also got a good showing from Rob Rodriguez, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Josh Cardenas was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
This is the second loss in a row for Rio Mesa and nudges their season record down to 1-5-1. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the defeats came by an average of only one runs. As for San Marcos, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.
Rio Mesa's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: San Marcos has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. It's a different story for Rio Mesa, though, as they've only averaged .335. Will they be able to contain San Marcos' hitters?
San Marcos beat Rio Mesa 4-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Does San Marcos have another victory up their sleeve, or will Rio Mesa turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
