The Chula Vista Spartans will square off against the Holtville Vikings at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Holtville took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Chula Vista, who comes in off a win.
Chula Vista had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Morse last Monday. The Spartans put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 10-2 win. The Spartans not only won last Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 20th (when they won 14-3).
Brandon Lucero
| 02/22/25 vs Brawley | 5 |
| 03/31/25 vs Campbell Hall | 3 |
| 03/25/25 vs Canyon Hills | 3 |
| 03/01/25 vs Lincoln | 1 |
Brandon Lucero made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Chula Vista is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-6-2 otherwise. Lucero was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run and one double.
In other pitching news, Chula Vista got a great performance from Jorge Lopez as he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. Lopez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Pablo Alvarado was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Noah Gomez was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Chula Vista always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, Holtville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-4 heartbreaker at the hands of Brawley.
Holtville saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Matthew Pacheco, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Holtville's defeat dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Chula Vista, their victory bumped their record up to 8-6-2.
Chula Vista took their win against Holtville when the teams last played back in May of 2017 by a conclusive 9-2 score. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
