Temecula Prep had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt San Jacinto Leadership Academy on Tuesday. The Patriots put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 14-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won ten games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Nikolaz Gonzalez made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. That’s the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2025. He was also stellar in the batter’s box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Temecula Prep’s success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 10-2 (and 1-7 when he doesn’t).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Joshua Estrada, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Temecula Prep: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Kevin Baker, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Temecula Prep kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That’s the most hits they’ve managed all season.
Temecula Prep pushed their record up to 11-9 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for San Jacinto Leadership Academy, they are on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-10.
Temecula Prep will have a chance to go back-to-back against the Lions: the pair’s next game is a rematch scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.