The Mira Monte Lions will square off against the Santa Maria Saints at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Mira Monte has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while Santa Maria will come in with seven straight victories.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Mira Monte and South, and South kept the tradition alive. Mira Monte took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of South on Thursday.
Justin Gomez was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Velasquez, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Santa Maria beat Nipomo 6-2 on Thursday.
Dominic Martin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Andrew Rice, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that he snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Julius Medina, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Santa Maria always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Nipomo only posted an OBP of .143.
Santa Maria pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Mira Monte, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mira Monte hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like Santa Maria struggles in that department as they've averaged .372. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mira Monte suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Santa Maria in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Mira Monte have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
