The Corona Panthers will face off against the La Mirada Matadores at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Corona sitting on 18 straight wins dating back to last season and La Mirada on seven.
La Mirada's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Corona hadn't allowed a single run the last six times they've hit the field. Corona's pitchers stepped up to hand JSerra Catholic a 9-0 shutout on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won four matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Ethin Bingaman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Jayden Daya looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024.
Anthony Murphy
| 03/27/25 @ JSerra Catholic | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs Santa Margarita | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Norco | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ Norco | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Summit | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Anthony Murphy, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Matthew Herrera was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Corona kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, La Mirada and Mater Dei (ranked 18th and sixth in the MaxPreps national rankings respectively) squared off in a high-profile contest on Thursday. La Mirada put the hurt on Mater Dei with a sharp 10-2 victory. Considering the Matadores have won four games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Kaden Corns spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
On the hitting side, Maverek Russell was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kevin Jeon, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Corona's win was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 8.4 runs this season. As for La Mirada, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
Everything went Corona's way against La Mirada in their previous meeting on March 4th, as Corona made off with a 10-1 victory. Does Corona have another victory up their sleeve, or will La Mirada turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
