For the second straight game, McFarland will face off against Taft. The Cougars will head out on the road to take on the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. McFarland is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
McFarland couldn't beat Taft on Tuesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fourth inning. The Cougars fell 11-7 to the Wildcats.
For Taft's part, William Espinoza made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Espinoza has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, KJ Downey was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Matthew Morse, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Taft kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
McFarland's defeat dropped their record down to 7-12-1. As for Taft, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-13.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. McFarland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Taft struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
