The Ventura Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Buena Bulldogs at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Ventura has five straight victories, Buena has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Ventura had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 13-run drubbing they dealt Nordhoff on Thursday. Ventura blew past Nordhoff 16-3. That 13 run margin sets a new team best for the Cougars this season.
Jayla Raya made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Furthermore, she didn't allow a single earned run, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Ventura let Aila Leoffler and Makayla Halley run wild. Leoffler went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double, while Halley went 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs Halley has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tessa Denger, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Ventura hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in eight consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Buena lost 7-1 to Dos Pueblos on Wednesday.
Ventura pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Buena, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.
Ventura came out on top in a nail-biter against Buena in their previous matchup on Monday, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ventura since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
