The Lucerne Valley Mustangs will square off against the Palmdale Academy Charter School Jaguars at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, Lucerne Valley turned things around against Trona on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 21-5 margin over the Tornadoes. The Mustangs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Juaquin Landeros made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Landeros was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with five stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lucerne Valley let Jonathon Gonzalez and Wesley Beck run wild. Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with eight stolen bases, three runs, and one triple, while Beck got on base in all five of his plate appearances with six stolen bases, four runs, and one double. Those six stolen bases gave Beck a new career-high. Dusty Ward was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases, four runs, and one RBI.
Lucerne Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .792. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Palmdale Academy Charter School came out on top against Mojave on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive 14-run seventh inning. The Jaguars blew past the Mustangs 23-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Jaguars.
Alessio Ruiz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. Ruiz was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with three runs, three doubles, and four RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isaac Torres, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with five runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. He also got three hits, which is notable because Palmdale Academy Charter School is 2-1 when he posts at least three hits, but 0-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Luis Ponce, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
Palmdale Academy Charter School's win bumped their record up to 2-10. As for Lucerne Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 3-9.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lucerne Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .520. However, it's not like Palmdale Academy Charter School struggles in that department as they've averaged .485. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
