Softball Preview: Whittier Christian Heralds vs. Valley Christian Defenders
Whittier Christian is 9-1 against Valley Christian since May of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Whittier Christian Heralds will head out on the road to square off against the Valley Christian Defenders at 3:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Valley Christian is hoping to do on Wednesday what Village Christian couldn't on Monday: put an end to Whittier Christian's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Everything went Whittier Christian's way against Village Christian as Whittier Christian made off with an 8-2 win.
Bobbie Lozano spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Sofia Hernandez was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Mia Camacho, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Valley Christian made sure to put some runs up on the board against Heritage Christian on Monday. Valley Christian was the clear victor by a 12-6 margin over Heritage Christian. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Valley Christian.
Rachel Zhang made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Zhang was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two triples, a run, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Valley Christian got a massive performance out of Kayla Martin, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Peyton Kingery was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Whittier Christian has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season. As for Valley Christian, they pushed their record up to 13-5 with that victory, which was their fifth straight at home.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Whittier Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .494. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Whittier Christian skirted past Valley Christian 2-1 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Valley Christian's Bella Bulthuis, who didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits over 4.1 innings pitched. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Whittier Christian still be able to contain Bulthuis? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
