The Payton College Prep Grizzlies will take on the Northside Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Payton College Prep barely beat Taft the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Grizzlies were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Eagles on Tuesday. Winning may never get old, but the Grizzlies sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Derek Patton
| 04/08/25 @ Taft | 9 |
| 04/02/25 vs Rolling Meadows | 7 |
| 03/28/25 vs Northmont | 3 |
| 03/21/25 vs Stevenson | 7 |
| 05/25/24 @ Ridgewood | 8 |
| 05/14/24 @ Jones | 9 |
Derek Patton was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 5-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of Payton College Prep's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-7 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caleb Salgado, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Augie Ruf, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Northside had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They blew past the Admirals 15-1. With that win, the Mustangs brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Will Moran tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Tyler Weigand was a standout: he scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games he's played. Rowan Yen was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Northside hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matchups.
Payton College Prep's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-7. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Northside, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Payton College Prep was able to grind out a solid victory over Northside in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 7-3. Do the Grizzlies have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
