The Saratoga Falcons will challenge the Santa Clara Bruins at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Saratoga has given up an average of 6.7 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Saratoga lost 11-4 to Fremont on Tuesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Falcons in their meetings with the Firebirds: they've now lost four in a row.
Saratoga saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shriyans Venkatram, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Sachin Sankar also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara waltzed into their contest on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured an 8-7 W against the Chargers.
John Kepner made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaxton Chao, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Dominick Chavarria was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Santa Clara was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in five consecutive matchups.
Santa Clara pushed their record up to 14-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Saratoga, their loss dropped their record down to 3-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Saratoga has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Santa Clara struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Saratoga might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Santa Clara when the teams last played back in March. Will the Falcons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
