Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Paloma Valley couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They fell just short of the Crean Lutheran Saints by a score of 9-8 on Thursday. It was the first time this season that Paloma Valley let down their fans at home.
Paloma Valley got a good showing from Brody Smearer, who struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Smearer has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Ayden Harrison made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Bubba Heidler, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Paloma Valley's loss ended a 19-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 27-2. As for Crean Lutheran, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 16-12 record this season.
Paloma Valley does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Crean Lutheran, they will face off against Citrus Valley at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The last four games Crean Lutheran has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
