The Lodi Flames will square off against the St. Mary's Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Last Wednesday, Lodi made easy work of Kimball and carried off an 11-1 win. The Flames might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by six runs or more this season.
Tealla Rivera was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Blank, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Lodi always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Kimball only posted an OBP of .316.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with an 11-7 victory over Ben Holt College Prep Academy on Monday. Considering the Rams' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
The team relied heavily on Matea Muraoka, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and one stolen base. Maya Garcia was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Lodi has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for St. Mary's, their victory bumped their record up to 5-12.
St. Mary's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lodi has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for St. Mary's, though, as they've been averaging 10.2 hits. Given Lodi's sizable advantage in that area, the Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lodi took their win against St. Mary's in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 9-3 score. Do the Flames have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
