The Ojai Valley Spuds will square off against the Cate Rams on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Ojai Valley sitting on four straight victories and Cate on five.
On Tuesday, Ojai Valley made easy work of Hillcrest Christian and carried off a 20-9 win. The Spuds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matches by nine runs or more this season.
Ben Scordamaglia
| 04/15/25 @ Hillcrest Christian | 4 |
| 03/29/25 @ Beacon Hill | 2 |
| 03/20/25 vs Villanova Prep | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Villanova Prep | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Gorman Learning Charter - Santa Clarita | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Ojai Valley got a massive performance out of Ben Scordamaglia, who scored four runs and stole five bases while going 3-for-4. Scordamaglia is becoming a predictor of the Spuds' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Archer Moller, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Scordamaglia wasn't the only one making solid contact: Ojai Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. The Spuds are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Cate beat Villanova Prep 6-1 on Thursday.
Villanova Prep's batters probably weren't too happy with Peter Lehman, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 14 Ks (he gave up two walks). Lehman has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Noah Casbarro was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Josh Butler, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Cate's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Ojai Valley, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Both Ojai Valley and Cate just can't seem to miss. The Spuds have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Cate struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ojai Valley suffered a grim 9-3 defeat to Cate in their previous meeting back in February. Will the Spuds have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
