Hilmar extended their losing streak to five on Friday, dropping them down to 5-6. They came up short against the Escalon Cougars, falling 17-5. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Cougars this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 2-0 on Wednesday.
Cohen Felber was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Dana Gentry, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
As for Escalon, the win was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 11-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games.
On Escalon's side, Brody Abbott made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off eight hits. Abbott was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cole Elsholz, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Drew Hagan, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Hilmar will challenge rival Orestimba at 4:00 p.m. on April 1. Meanwhile, Escalon is set to face off against their familiar foe Ripon Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Cougars 3.9, the Knights 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
