Red Bluff hasn't had much luck against Chico recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Spartans will challenge the Panthers at 1:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Red Bluff is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They never let Foothill get on the board and left with a 2-0 win. The Spartans haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Cooper Sides
| 04/04/25 vs Chico | 4 |
| 05/02/25 @ Enterprise | 1 |
Not much got past Cooper Sides, who gave up just five hits and racked up 11 Ks to keep Foothill off the board. Sides also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Red Bluff is 10-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 8-10 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Red Bluff saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mason Lyford, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI. Lyford is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played.
Meanwhile, Chico waltzed into their game on Friday with eight straight wins... but they left with nine. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Vikings.
Chico also got a great performance from Vinny Boatwright as he pitched six innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits.
Chico hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pleasant Valley struck out seven times.
Chico pushed their record up to 26-1 with the win, which was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for Red Bluff, their record now sits at 18-11.
Red Bluff's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's match. The Spartans have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Chico, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Red Bluff continue to outrun the ball?
Red Bluff couldn't quite finish off Chico in their previous matchup back in April and fell 7-5. Can the Spartans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
