The Santa Ana Valley Falcons will take on the Orange Panthers at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Santa Ana Valley's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last five matchups.
Last Wednesday, Santa Ana Valley beat Loara 15-11.
The team relied heavily on Janelle Coronel, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. What's more, she posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Yareli Sanchez, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Coronel wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Santa Ana Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. Santa Ana Valley is a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Orange). They were the clear victors by a 19-11 margin over La Quinta on Monday. The Panthers not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since May 2, 2024.
Scarlett Poitra made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and six unearned) runs off eight hits. Poitra was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Dalilah Solorio was incredible, scoring four runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Chloe Vasquez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Santa Ana Valley is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.6 runs over those games. Orange's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-7.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Ana Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .420. However, it's not like Orange struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Santa Ana Valley beat Orange 17-12 in their previous matchup back in February of 2022. Does Santa Ana Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Orange turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
