Portola is 0-3 against Plumas Charter since April of 2024 but things could change on Thursday. The Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Warriors at 4:00 p.m. Portola has given up an average of 7.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Portola fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Quincy on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 11-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Tigers have suffered since March 8th.
Ricky Richardson was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three RBI.
Joe Leal
| 04/22/25 @ Quincy | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Burney | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Virginia City | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Anderson | 2 |
| 03/01/25 @ Virginia City | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Richardson wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Joe Leal, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Leal has become a key player for Portola: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-9 otherwise. Another was Tanner Vankol, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Plumas Charter had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Tuesday. They never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won nine contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Portola, Plumas Charter also got a great game from a two-way player: Colton McDonald. Throwing, McDonald struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Blake Metcalf tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, McDonald went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Metcalf went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Those two RBI gave McDonald a new career-high.
In other batting news, Dalton Bentz was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. Jhett Neer was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
Plumas Charter's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-7. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs over those games. As for Portola, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.
Portola came up short against Plumas Charter in their previous matchup on April 8th, falling 6-2. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
