California hasn't had much luck against La Serna recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Condors will head out on the road to face off against the Lancers at 3:15 p.m. California's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so La Serna's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
California had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt South Pasadena on Saturday. The Condors put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 12-1 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Condors considering their two-run performance the match before.
Andrew Gonzalez looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
Ricky Gonzales
| 04/19/25 @ South Pasadena | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ El Rancho | 2 |
| 03/24/25 vs Northview | 2 |
| 02/19/25 vs Schurr | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs El Rancho | 1 |
At the plate, California got a massive performance out of Ricky Gonzales, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave Gonzales a new career-high. Luke Martinez was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI, one run, and one double.
California always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, La Serna earned a 6-3 win over Whittier on Thursday.
Grady Long made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Long was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Jeremiah Diaz looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because La Serna is 6-2 when he allows at most one walk, but 6-7 otherwise.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Adrian Dominguez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. Christopher Soto also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
La Serna's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-9. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for California, their record now sits at 15-6.
California skirted past La Serna 6-5 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Condors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
