The Paradise Bobcats will head out on the road to challenge the Winters Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Paradise has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with six straight losses, while Winters will come in with 13 straight victories.
Paradise came into this matchup off a tough ten-run defeat last Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Durham by a score of 7-5 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Bobcats have suffered since March 12th.
Aydrik Stolz was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. Stolz was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Stolz wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tony Mejia, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Quincy Miller also deserves some recognition as he got his first hits of the season.
Winters came out on top against Willows on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Warriors were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Honkers.
Like Paradise, Winters also got a great game from a two-way player: Lane Brown. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Brown has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Sebastian Rodriguez was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Miles Mariani was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Winters kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Winters pushed their record up to 14-9 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Paradise, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Paradise has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Winters struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Paradise might still be hurting after the 16-2 loss they got from Winters in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
