Hamilton hasn't had much luck against Temecula Prep recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Bobcats will face off against the Patriots at 3:00 p.m. Hamilton has given up an average of 8.5 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
It was a proper cat-fight when Hamilton took on San Jacinto Leadership Academy on Monday. The Bobcats fell 11-6 to the Lions.
Alex Velasquez was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and one triple. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Joey Alvarez, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Temecula Prep had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They blew past the Bulldogs 17-2. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Kevin Baker and Evan Van Winkle made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Baker tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Van Winkle tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Baker got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one run, while Van Winkle earned two runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs Van Winkle has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Temecula Prep let Braden Litt and Noah Scarlett run wild. Litt got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and one stolen base, while Scarlett went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Scarlett has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Nikolaz Gonzalez, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Temecula Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Redlands Adventist Academy only posted an OBP of .333.
Temecula Prep's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-5. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Hamilton, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hamilton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Temecula Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hamilton might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from Temecula Prep in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
