The Hamilton Bobcats will venture away from home to take on the Nuview Bridge Knights at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hamilton is coming into the match hot, having won their last nine games.
Hamilton took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against Santa Rosa Academy, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Bobcats came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rangers on Friday, sneaking past 7-6.
Kaitlynn Barreto was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up six earned runs off nine hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Jayden Vargas and Genesis Andrade did most of the damage at the plate: Vargas went 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run, while Andrade went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That triple was Vargas' first of the season. Laura Vega was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Hamilton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Santa Rosa Academy only posted a batting average of .200.
Meanwhile, Nuview Bridge fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against San Jacinto Valley Academy on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They lost 17-8 to the Wolves.
Breanna Pacheco led a balanced group of hitters, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathalia Portillo, who went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Hamilton's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.8 runs over those games. As for Nuview Bridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7-1.
Nuview Bridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hamilton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Nuview Bridge, though, as they've been averaging 9.2 hits. Given Hamilton's sizable advantage in that area, the Knights will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hamilton suffered a grim 20-8 defeat to Nuview Bridge in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Bobcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
