Center hasn't had much luck against Sutter recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Huskies at 4:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Center took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Marysville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Indians 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since February 28th.
Kaidon Howerton-Abernathy
| 04/23/25 vs Marysville | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs El Camino | 2 |
| 02/18/25 @ Foothill | 2 |
| 03/10/25 vs Colfax | 1 |
| 02/21/25 @ Grant | 1 |
Center's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kaidon Howerton-Abernathy, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Howerton-Abernathy has become a key player for the Cougars: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 7-9-1 otherwise. Jason Bergman was another, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Sutter came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Vikings. That's two games straight that the Huskies have won by just one run.
Mason McCall looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ezra Hilleary, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Landyn Singh, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.
Sutter's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 23-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Center, they now have a winning record of 10-9-1.
Center suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Sutter in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
