Salesian and Rancho Mirage squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Salesian had to settle for second. They fell 3-0 to the Rancho Mirage Rattlers. While getting shut out isn't ideal, Salesian has not been shut out since back in March.
For Rancho Mirage's part, Malakai Lopez made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. Lopez has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Lopez was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Lopez wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kobee Finnikin, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.
Salesian has been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-9 record this season. As for Rancho Mirage, the victory was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 24-7.
Salesian does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Rancho Mirage, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Colony at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Colony is coming into the game with eight straight wins on the road, so Rancho Mirage will have to stop a team with plenty of momentum.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
