Foothill hasn't had much luck against Pleasant Valley recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cougars will square off against the Vikings at 10:00 a.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Foothill heads in on the heels of a playoff game on Friday. They fell just short of Red Bluff by a score of 2-0. Considering the last time the Cougars couldn't score was back in April, the team can't take the result too hard.
Kayden Williams spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Foothill saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cander Pursell, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Valley wound up with the same score they had in their last game (5-4), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. They have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meeting.
Brayden Borges was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits.
At the plate, Scotty McKeown made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Foothill's record now sits at 11-15. As for Pleasant Valley, their record is now 15-15.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foothill has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pleasant Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Foothill took their win against Pleasant Valley when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 8-0 score. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
