The Washington Huskies will square off against the California Grizzlies at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Washington is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
Washington is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-4 margin over Eureka.
Hugo Marks and Ezekiel Porter made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Marks struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Porter pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Marks has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Marks got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one double and one RBI, while Porter went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave Porter a new career-high.
Ehkam Braich
| 05/20/25 @ Eureka | 2 |
| 05/03/25 vs Amador Valley | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs American | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Arroyo | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Pittsburg | 1 |
In other batting news, Ehkam Braich was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Tristan Wells was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for California, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They walked away with a 6-2 win over San Leandro on Tuesday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Grizzlies as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
California also got a great performance from Brayden Gijbels as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 4.2 innings pitched. Gijbels also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Grizzlies are 6-3 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 7-8 otherwise.
At the plate, California's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Jess, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Washington's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-9. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for California, their record is now 13-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Washington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like California struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Washington came up short against California when the teams last played back in March, falling 5-0. Can the Huskies avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
