The Grant Pacers will square off against the Foothill Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Grant proved they can win big last Monday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Foresthill 12-10.
Niko Hernandez
Niko Hernandez made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Grant is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 0-3 otherwise. Hernandez was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kane Fulwider, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Grant's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 0-3 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Joel De La Cruz, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Grant always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Foothill came into Tuesday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since April 3, 2024.
Foothill's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Keith Linihan, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Richard Paiz also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
The win got Grant back to even at 3-3. As for Foothill, their victory bumped their record up to 2-5.
Foothill's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Grant has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .475. It's a different story for Foothill, though, as they've only averaged .350. Will they be able to contain Grant's hitters?
Everything went Grant's way against Foothill in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Grant made off with a 17-5 win. Does Grant have another victory up their sleeve, or will Foothill turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
