The Righetti Warriors are taking a road trip to square off against the Nipomo Titans at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
The home team had won the previous two meetings between Righetti and Lompoc, and Lompoc kept the tradition alive. The Warriors took a 6-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Braves on Friday.
Righetti saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Blake Thayer, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Nipomo came out on top against Santa Ynez on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run sixth inning. The Titans put the hurt on the Pirates with a sharp 9-1 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Titans as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Aiden Mendoza looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Nipomo's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 4-2 (and 5-10 when he doesn't).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ethan Silveira, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Travis Barr, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Nipomo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Santa Ynez only posted a batting average of .130.
Righetti has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 14-10 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Nipomo, their record is now 9-12.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Righetti hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Nipomo struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Righetti's way against Nipomo in their previous meeting back in April of 2021, as Righetti made off with a 14-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
