Piedmont dropped their record down to 12-5 on Saturday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They came up short against the Oakland Tech Bulldogs, falling 13-6. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Highlanders, who until this match were averaging 3.53 runs allowed.
Will Parker and Diego Delventhal stepped up to the plate in a big way. Parker went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Delventhal got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. Markos Lagios was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
As for Oakland Tech, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games.
On Oakland Tech's side, Elias Thompson tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts Thompson has posted since back in March of 2024.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Hayden Burton, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Oakland Tech's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-7 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Rasheed Pittman, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI and one double.
Looking ahead, Piedmont will challenge Castro Valley at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Trojans' pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so the Highlanders' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Oakland Tech, they will face off against Fremont at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Tigers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 15.25 runs per game on average), something the Bulldogs will no doubt try to take advantage of.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
