The University City Centurions will square off against the Mira Mesa Marauders at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The last four games University City has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
University City fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Coronado on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Islanders by a score of 7-6. The Centurions haven't had much luck with the Islanders recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Jayden Parker and Josh Kaplan did some serious damage despite the final result: Parker went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs, while Kaplan went 2-for-5 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mira Mesa). They blew past Madison 11-2 on Thursday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Marauders as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Caleb Gerlach made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nathaniel Widelski, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Mira Mesa's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-2 (and 6-12 when he doesn't). Khalil Graham was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Mira Mesa kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
University City's loss dropped their record down to 14-11. As for Mira Mesa, their win bumped their record up to 11-14.
Mira Mesa's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. University City has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Mira Mesa, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will University City keep running through batters, or will the Marauders buck the trend?
University City came up short against Mira Mesa in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, falling 8-4. Can the Centurions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
