Durham is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Los Molinos is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Trojans will welcome the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Durham's win against Hamilton wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Trojans skirted past the Braves 9-7. The victory continues a trend for the Trojans in their matchups with the Braves: they've now won six in a row.
Jack Drake was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Drake was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Durham got a massive performance out of Ely Martinez, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. That's the most runs Martinez has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Stephens, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Los Molinos made easy work of Chester on Friday and carried off a 16-1 win. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by seven runs or more this season.
Like Durham, Los Molinos also got a great game from a two-way player: Izick Nelson. On the mound, Nelson struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Brayden Weibling pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Nelson has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Nelson scored three runs while going 2-for-2, while Weibling scored three runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Parker Heitman was a standout: he scored two runs while going 2-for-2. Kyson Button was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Los Molinos hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in nine consecutive contests.
Los Molinos has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Durham, their win bumped their record up to 9-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Durham has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Los Molinos struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Durham's way against Los Molinos when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Durham made off with a 10-0 victory. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
