The Lathrop Spartans will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Pacheco Panthers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Lathrop scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Monday. They skirted past West 14-13. With that win, Lathrop brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Anthony Gallardo and Mathew Rankin made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Gallardo tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also only allowed one walk). Meanwhile, Rankin tossed 4.1 innings while giving up two earned (and four unearned) runs off only two hits. Gallardo has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Gallardo scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Rankin scored three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Omare Cross was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Chris Williams, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Pacheco waltzed into their game on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Delta Kings and snuck past 10-8.
Ty Ty Jenkins and Jurell Him did most of the damage at the plate: Jenkins went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI, while Him scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Lathrop's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Pacheco, their win bumped their record up to 6-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lathrop has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pacheco struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Lathrop's way against Pacheco in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 as Lathrop made off with a 10-2 victory. Will Lathrop repeat their success, or does Pacheco have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
