Lemoore is 9-1 against Mission Oak since February of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Tigers will head out to face off against the Hawks at 4:30 p.m. The last three games Lemoore has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Wednesday, Lemoore needed a bit of extra time to put away Tulare Union. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over the Tribe. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Tribe recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Ian Snell
| 04/30/25 vs Tulare Union | 13 |
| 03/21/25 @ Tulare Union | 11 |
| 04/23/25 @ Hanford | 10 |
| 04/04/25 @ Dinuba | 10 |
| 03/01/25 @ Sanger West | 10 |
| + 3 more games |
Ian Snell made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. He has become a key player for Lemoore: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least eight strikeouts, but 8-9 otherwise. Snell was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Tristan Puga was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Tyson Kinter, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Mission Oak hadn't done well against Tulare Western recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Hawks came out on top in a nail-biter against the Mustangs, sneaking past 4-2.
Like Lemoore, Mission Oak also got a great game from a two-way player: Gage Hastin. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over 6.1 innings pitched. Hastin has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ben Romans, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI.
Mission Oak hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Mission Oak is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-9-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Lemoore, their record now sits at 12-10.
Lemoore couldn't quite get it done against Mission Oak in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 5-2. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
