Summit Charter Collegiate Academy is 1-9 against Orange Cove since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Bears will square off against the Titans at 6:00 p.m. The last three games Summit Charter Collegiate Academy has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Summit Charter Collegiate Academy took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Orosi, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Bears skirted past the Cardinals 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bears have posted against the Cardinals since April 5, 2018.
Mike Gonzalez made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Summit Charter Collegiate Academy's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 3-0-1 (and 0-9 when he doesn't). Gonzalez was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Stephen Mendez
| 05/08/25 vs Orosi | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Woodlake | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs Wonderful College Prep Academy | 1 |
| 03/04/25 vs Orosi | 1 |
| 03/20/24 @ Kings Christian | 1 |
Gonzalez wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Stephen Mendez, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those two runs gave Mendez a new career-high. Another was Brandon Baldwin, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Orange Cove came tearing into Thursday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Wolves with a sharp 17-7 victory. That's two games straight that the Titans have won by exactly ten runs.
Adrian Gonzalez tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk).
On the hitting side, Orange Cove got a massive performance out of Jeremiah Silva, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiah Guerra, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI.
Orange Cove always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .514 or higher in six consecutive matches.
Orange Cove pushed their record up to 16-9 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Summit Charter Collegiate Academy, their record is now 3-9-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Summit Charter Collegiate Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Orange Cove struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Summit Charter Collegiate Academy suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Orange Cove when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
