Chester dropped to 5-7 on Monday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They came up short against the Loyalton Grizzlies, falling 14-3. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Grizzlies this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 12-6 back in March.
Grady Klimek was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Zach Dean was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
As for Loyalton, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-8 record this season. The result was nothing new for Loyalton, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
On Loyalton's side, Ryland Martinetti made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Martinetti was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, four RBI, and one double while going 4-for-5. He has become a key player for Loyalton: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least one home run, but 6-7 otherwise.
In other batting news, Loyalton let Thor Corcoran and Cooper Holland run wild. Corcoran got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Holland went 2-for-4 with four runs, two RBI, and one double. Holland is becoming a predictor of Loyalton's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 7-1 (and 2-7 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Preston Hubbs, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Looking ahead, Chester will square off against Redding Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Loyalton, they will challenge Tulelake at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.
