The Sylmar Spartans will head out on the road to square off against the Kennedy Cougars at 3:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Sylmar came tearing into Saturday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.7 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Wolves onto the board and left with a 13-0 victory.
Victor Espinoza made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). Espinoza was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in all two of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Deangelo Franco looked comfortable as he tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Victor Carrera was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew Benzor, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, Kennedy came into Thursday's game having lost ten straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Everything went their way against Reseda on Thursday as Kennedy made off with a 12-0 win. The victory was just what Kennedy needed coming off of a 17-6 defeat in their prior match.
Kennedy also got a great performance from Dominic Coco as he didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Matthew Cisneros, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a run. Roberto Solares was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Sylmar's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-5. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs per game. As for Kennedy, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 2-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Sylmar has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Kennedy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Sylmar skirted past Kennedy 1-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Kennedy's OSCAR PATRON, who didn't allow a single earned run over 6.1 innings pitched. Now that he won't be playing on Monday, will it be that much easier for Sylmar to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
