The Canyon Comanches will take on the Villa Park Spartans at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Tuesday, Canyon sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over El Modena. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Comanches.
Alex Clovery and Cooper Stevenson dominated on the mound. Clovery pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits, while Stevenson pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. What's more, Clovery posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Canyon saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chip Mertz, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. Matt Frometa was another, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Friday Villa Park sidestepped Capistrano Valley for a 3-1 victory.
Owen Smith looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
Canyon pushed their record up to 8-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Villa Park, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Canyon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Villa Park struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Canyon came up short against Villa Park in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 3-0. Will Canyon have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
