Baseball Recap: West Comes Up Short

West had lost 12 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped down to 0-2 to make it 13. They took an 11-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lathrop Spartans. The Wolfpack were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Spartans apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2025.

Jackson Chiles was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2025. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.

In other batting news, Gavin Alvarez and Austin Hatcher stepped up to the plate in a big way. Alvarez got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Hatcher went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Tyler Armstrong, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.

Lathrop's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-7. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

On Lathrop's side, Vaughn Sanchez was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Sanchez has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaicob Ewing, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. West will face off against Weston Ranch at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Lathrop, they will square off against River Islands at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Spartans' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Riptide have averaged an impressive 11.2 runs per game this season.