California City is 2-8 against Rosamond since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Ravens will square off against the Roadrunners at 3:15 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
California City is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Frazier Mountain 26-5 on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Ravens with their most commanding win of the season.
Dakoda Kusmit
| 02/27/25 vs South | 4 |
| 04/11/25 vs Kern Valley | 3 |
| 03/01/25 vs Wasco | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs Arvin | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Vasquez | 2 |
| + 1 more games |
Aaroon Moreno and Dakoda Kusmit were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Moreno tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Kusmit pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. California City is 3-0-1 when Kusmit allows one or fewer earned runs, but 8-9 otherwise. At the plate, Moreno went 1-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Kusmit got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs Moreno has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Kevin Hightower was a standout: he went 3-for-6 with five RBI, three runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Kole Hightower was another key player, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with four runs and three RBI.
California City was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .538. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Rosamond made easy work of Lone Pine last Tuesday and carried off an 8-1 victory. The Roadrunners haven't had any issues with the Golden Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Ayden Katuszonek spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 16 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Julian Pope Herdnandez was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Zane Adams, who went 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
California City's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-9-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Rosamond, their record is now 6-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. California City has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rosamond struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
California City was able to grind out a solid victory over Rosamond in their previous matchup back in March, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ravens since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
