The Monte Vista Pirates will face off against the Rye Thunderbolts at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Monte Vista has four straight victories, Rye has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Rye's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Monte Vista hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. The Pirates' pitcher stepped up to hand Trinidad a 15-0 shutout on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won nine matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Landon Sanchez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Judah Howe, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Azariah Hurtado, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four runs and one triple.
Monte Vista always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Rye lost 12-2 to Lamar on Monday.
Branson Burbidge was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Monte Vista's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average over those games. As for Rye, their loss dropped their record down to 3-12.
Rye's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Monte Vista hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .388. It's a different story for Rye, though, as they've only averaged .241. Will they be able to contain Monte Vista's hitters?
Monte Vista was able to grind out a solid win over Rye when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 11-8. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Thunderbolts turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
