The Ceres Bulldogs will be taking part in a tournament against the Grace Davis Spartans at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Ceres' pitching crew has only allowed 3.3 runs per game this season, so Grace Davis' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Ceres' offense. They fell 5-0 to Downey on Tuesday. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Bulldogs' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Ceres saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Aiden Maines, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Grace Davis entered their tilt with Modesto Christian on Tuesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They put the hurt on the Crusaders with a sharp 12-4 win.
Lukas Silva made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other pitching news, David Apple looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Grace Davis got a massive performance out of Izak Torres, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with six stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those six stolen bases gave Torres a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jordan Reece, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Grace Davis' record is now 13-9. As for Ceres, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 16-7 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ceres has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grace Davis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ceres skirted past Grace Davis 10-9 in their previous matchup on April 3rd. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
