The Cheney Blackhawks will challenge the Mead Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mead took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Cheney, who comes in off a win.
Cheney is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over Lewis & Clark on Tuesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Blackhawks needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Jace Vega made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Cheney is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 2-5 otherwise. Vega was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other pitching news, Carter Owens looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Cheney is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 3-4 otherwise.
Marcus Belarde
| 04/08/25 @ Lewis & Clark | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Gonzaga Prep | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Medical Lake | 1 |
| 03/19/25 vs West Valley | 1 |
| 05/11/24 @ Mt. Spokane | 1 |
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Marcus Belarde, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Dawes Hanson, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Cheney always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Mead was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their 12th straight defeat dating back to last season. They lost 11-2 to University.
Mead saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lucius Spielman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. That stolen base marked the first that Spielman snagged this season.
Cheney moved to 5-5 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak. As for Mead, their loss dropped their record down to 0-10.
Cheney's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Blackhawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Mead, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Cheney continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
