Baseball Recap: Soledad Comes Up Short

Soledad extended their losing streak to five on Friday, dropping them down to 8-14-1. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 9-7 heartbreaker at the hands of the St. Francis Sharks. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Aztecs have suffered since April 8th.

Jordan Nichols

Runs

05/01/26 vs St. Francis	2
04/04/26 @ San Lorenzo Valley	2
02/24/26 vs Watsonville	2
04/24/26 vs Hollister	1
04/17/26 @ Monterey	1
+ 4 more games

Jordan Nichols made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Soledad is 2-1 when Nichols posts two or more runs, but 6-13-1 otherwise. Ethan Sanchez was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

As for St. Francis, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-15-1. That's two games straight that they have won by exactly two runs.

On St. Francis' side, Nicky Fantl made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. Fantl has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Angelo Urabe Chavez was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Noah Magana, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.

We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Soledad will face off against rival Carmel at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Meanwhile, St. Francis is set to challenge their familiar foe Hollister at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.