The Red Bluff Spartans will head out on the road to square off against the Chico Panthers at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Red Bluff will be strutting in after a victory while Chico will be coming in after a loss.
Red Bluff has not done well against Foothill recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Red Bluff was the clear victor by a 9-3 margin over Foothill. Considering Red Bluff has won three contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Ever Aaron Ovalle made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Ovalle was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryce Owens, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Ryan Ross was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 12 runs the game before, Chico were a bit more limited in their game on Friday. They fell just short of Orland by a score of 2-1. It was the first time this season that Chico let down their fans at home.
Rex Edwards was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Chico saw one different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Blake Bettencourt, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Red Bluff's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Chico, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2-1.
Chico's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Red Bluff hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. It's a different story for Chico, though, as they've only averaged .235. Will they be able to contain Red Bluff's hitters?
Red Bluff suffered a grim 15-7 defeat to Chico in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Can Red Bluff avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
