The Bendle Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Eastern Quakers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Eastern will be up against a hot Bendle team: the squad just extended their winning streak to nine. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over Atherton on Thursday.
Ashton Rodriguez made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out 17 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). Those 17 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged three or more in each of the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Landon Mattis
| 04/23/26 vs Atherton | 3 |
| 04/20/26 @ Flint Southwestern Academy | 5 |
| 05/23/25 vs Genesee | 2 |
| 05/23/25 @ Genesee | 5 |
| 05/15/25 @ Atherton | 1 |
| + 6 more games |
In other batting news, Landon Mattis was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He has been hot for a while, having posted at least one stolen base the last 11 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Kaden Mattis, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Eastern). They blew past Sexton 24-5 on Thursday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Quakers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Like Bendle, Eastern also got a great game from a two-way player: Alejandro Eno. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Eno was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that he has brought in this season.
In other batting news, Manny Hernandez was incredible, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with five stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those runs were his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Carlos Gonzalez, who went 1-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Eastern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .521. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Eastern's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-13. As for Bendle, their record is now 2-0.
Bendle couldn't quite get it done against Eastern in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 as they fell 9-6. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
