The Loyalton Grizzlies will head out to challenge the Tulelake Honkers at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Loyalton's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Tulelake's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Monday, Loyalton got the win against Portola by a conclusive 9-2. The Grizzlies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by seven runs or more this season.
Meanwhile, Tulelake came tearing into Monday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 4-1 victory over Non Varsity Opponent.
Rafael Hernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Tulelake is 4-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-9 otherwise. Hernandez was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jose Zaragoza was excellent, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Kevin Larsen was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Loyalton is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for Tulelake, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-11.
Loyalton skirted past Tulelake 5-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Grizzlies repeat their success, or do the Honkers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
