Santa Maria is 9-1 against Orcutt Academy since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Saints will be playing at home against the Spartans at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Last Thursday, Santa Maria needed a bit of extra time to put away Nipomo. They skirted past the Titans 2-1. The victory was some much needed relief for the Saints as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
Alex Ybarra
| 04/17/25 @ Nipomo | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Morro Bay | 2 |
| 03/24/25 @ Orcutt Academy | 2 |
| 03/01/25 @ Laton | 2 |
| 03/01/25 @ Laton | 2 |
The team relied heavily on Alex Ybarra, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Orcutt Academy posted their closest win since March 11th on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over Coast Union. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.
Nick Grindy made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and not a single walk). He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Orcutt Academy is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 2-9 otherwise. Grindy was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Grindy wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Josue Ramirez, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base. Daniel Meraz also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Santa Maria's win bumped their record up to 12-6. As for Orcutt Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 5-10.
Orcutt Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Santa Maria hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. It's a different story for Orcutt Academy, though, as they've only averaged .194. Will they be able to contain Santa Maria's hitters?
Everything went Santa Maria's way against Orcutt Academy in their previous meeting back in March, as Santa Maria made off with a 14-0 win. Do the Saints have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
