The East Union Lancers will take on the Manteca Buffaloes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. East Union is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
East Union is headed into Monday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Thursday. They fell 8-4 to Oakdale.
Joe Alvarez was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Peyton Heath
| 04/09/25 @ Mountain House | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Sierra | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ Oakdale | 2 |
| 04/02/25 vs Sierra | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Patterson | 2 |
| + 13 more games |
Alvarez wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Peyton Heath, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Heath is becoming a predictor of East Union's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 7-11 when he doesn't). Another was Brayden Camara, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Manteca made sure to put some runs up on the board against Tokay on Tuesday. The Buffaloes put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 15-7 win. The result was nothing new for the Buffaloes, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Nicholas Yee looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Manteca let Brody Carabello and Preston Smith run wild. Carabello went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles, while Smith went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs Smith has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Edward Anthony, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Manteca kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tokay only managed ten hits.
East Union's defeat dropped their record down to 13-12. As for Manteca, their victory bumped their record up to 18-6.
East Union came out on top in a nail-biter against Manteca in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. Do the Lancers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buffaloes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
