The Hanford Bullpups will square off against the Hoover Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hanford is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Independence by a score of 8-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Cole Leskanic made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 4.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double.
Aiden Smith
| 05/16/25 vs Independence | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs Placer | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Dinuba | 1 |
| 03/19/24 @ Tulare Union | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aiden Smith, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Manny Souza, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Hanford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Hoover waltzed into their game on Friday with eight straight wins... but they left with nine. They came out on top against the Bears by a score of 7-2.
Like Hanford, Hoover also got a great game from a two-way player: Logan Cunningham. On the mound, he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits. Cunningham was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Hoover let Chris Herrera and Lashawn Carey run wild. Herrera went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Carey went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Hoover's win was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-8. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hanford, the win got them back to even at 14-14.
