It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Valley View Eagles face off against Yucaipa Thunderbirds at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Valley View will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Valley View is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victor by a 17-1 margin over Chaparral on Tuesday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 12 runs or more this season.
Ato Laumatia made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Giselle Morales looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Maddie Barrios was incredible, firing off two home runs, ten RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Jacqueline Divine, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Yucaipa came up short against Schurr on Friday and fell 5-2.
Valley View pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Yucaipa, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.
Everything went Valley View's way against Yucaipa in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Valley View made off with a 13-3 victory. Will Valley View repeat their success, or does Yucaipa have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
