Softball Game Preview: Atwater Falcons vs. Lodi Flames

The Atwater Falcons will venture away from home to face off against the Lodi Flames at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Atwater is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.

Atwater fell victim to Orestimba and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 14-0 to the Warriors. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Falcons, who until this game were averaging 3.82 runs allowed.

Atwater saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kaydence Armando, who went 1-for-3 with one double.

Meanwhile, Lodi came tearing into Thursday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over the Tigers. The Flames might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 contests by six runs or more this season.

The result came thanks to Ashlyn Jubrey's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 16 Ks.

On the hitting side, Arissa Torres and Taylor Weigum did most of the damage at the plate: Torres went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run, while Weigum went 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. Those two hits gave Weigum a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tealla Rivera, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.

Lodi hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least two batters in five consecutive games.

Lodi pushed their record up to 20-6 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Atwater, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 21-7.

Wednesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Atwater hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Lodi struggles in that department as they've averaged .368. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.