For the second straight game, Central Catholic will face off against Manteca. The Raiders will be playing at home against the Buffaloes at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Central Catholic 2.4, Manteca 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Central Catholic is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: Manteca, who was ranked third at the time (Central Catholic was ranked 11th). The Raiders put the hurt on the Buffaloes with a sharp 10-3 victory on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won three matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Cruz Costa made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Caine Walker
| 03/11/26 @ Manteca | 3 |
| 02/27/26 vs Pioneer | 2 |
| 05/01/25 vs Sierra | 1 |
| 04/07/25 @ Manteca | 1 |
| 04/02/25 @ Patterson | 1 |
In other batting news, Caine Walker was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hudson Walker, who went 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
The win made it two in a row for Central Catholic and bumps their season record up to 7-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Manteca, their loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 9-2.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Central Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Manteca struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
