The Escalon Cougars will take on the Ripon Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Escalon will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Escalon's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Orestimba 14-0. The contest marked the Cougars' most dominant victory of the season.
Brody Abbott was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Ben Gonzalez
| 04/25/25 @ Orestimba | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Ripon Christian | 1 |
| 03/12/25 vs Sonora | 1 |
| 03/06/25 vs Enochs | 1 |
In other batting news, Ben Gonzalez was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Josh Fiori, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Escalon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ripon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hilmar on Friday, sneaking past 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Indians have posted since March 26th.
Joseph Molthen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, Ripon saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Weber, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Ripon's victory bumped their record up to 10-12. As for Escalon, their win bumped their record up to 13-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Escalon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ripon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Escalon's way against Ripon when the teams last played last Wednesday, as Escalon made off with an 8-1 victory. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
