The Bear River Bruins will take on the Gustine Reds at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Bear River is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-4 margin over Leroy Greene Academy. The Bruins' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Cooper Lunsford
| 05/06/25 vs Leroy Greene Academy | 3 |
| 05/01/25 @ Colfax | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs Burbank | 2 |
| 02/25/25 vs East Nicolaus | 2 |
| 04/25/25 @ Wheatland | 1 |
Cooper Lunsford was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nolan Allen, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Bear River always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .657. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Gustine entered their tilt with Golden Sierra on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They never let the Grizzlies get on the board and left with a 14-0 win. The Reds' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last four matches.
Alexander Quezada and Jake Campbell made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Quezada pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Campbell tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Quezada went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Campbell went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mike Saaranzin, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Salsa, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Bear River has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Gustine, they pushed their record up to 18-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Bear River has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gustine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
