The Bloomington Bruins are taking a road trip to square off against the Colton Yellowjackets at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Bloomington's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Colton's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bloomington was handed a seven-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over Eisenhower. While the Bruins didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Andrew Lira
| 03/12/26 vs Eisenhower | 4 |
| 03/01/25 @ Nuview Bridge | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ Troy | 2 |
| 03/05/26 @ Montclair | 1 |
| 04/11/25 @ Rialto | 1 |
Bloomington got a great performance from Andrew Lira as he tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. The dominant performance also gave Lira a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
At the plate, Nathan Martin was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Isaac Martin, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Colton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They walked away with a 5-0 victory over Arroyo Valley on Saturday. The Yellowjackets haven't had any issues with the Hawks recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
The team relied heavily on Evan Darrington, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Colton is 3-1 when Darrington posts two or more runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Christian Ruiz was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Colton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Arroyo Valley only posted an OBP of .167.
Bloomington's record now sits at 9-2. As for Colton, their record is now 4-5.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bloomington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like Colton struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bloomington might still be hurting after the 10-4 loss they got from Colton in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Bruins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
