Central Valley is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Pacheco Panthers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Central Valley 3.1, Pacheco 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Central Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Gregori a 14-0 shutout on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Hawks considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Dominic Delatorre
| 02/27/26 vs Laguna Creek | 3 |
| 03/06/26 vs Gregori | 1 |
| 02/23/26 vs Manteca | 1 |
Dominic Delatorre looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. He is becoming a predictor of Central Valley's success: when he allows at most three hits the team is 2-1 (and 1-3 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, Central Valley let Carter Hernandez and Mason Whitworth run wild. Hernandez went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, while Whitworth went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most hits Whitworth has posted since back in April of 2025. Another player making a difference was Ezequiel Verduzco, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs.
Central Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .618. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Pacheco had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They came out on top against the Delta Kings by a score of 7-3. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Aidan Pikas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sam Honesto was excellent, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Sanchez, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Central Valley's victory bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Pacheco, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Central Valley skirted past Pacheco 5-4 in their previous matchup back in March of 2025. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
