Softball Preview: Laguna Creek Cardinals vs. McClatchy Lions
After three games on the road, Laguna Creek is heading back home. They will take on the McClatchy Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Wednesday, Laguna Creek had just enough and edged Monterey Trail out 3-2.
Sarah Hanf spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits and racked up 16 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Laguna Creek saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia Rials, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Ella Lovato was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, McClatchy gave their fans yet another huge victory on Wednesday. They blew past Kennedy 10-1. McClatchy's win was all the more impressive since Kennedy was averaging only 3.8 runs allowed on the season.
Lily Arbizo was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Arbizo was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, McClatchy let Sofia Cuellar and Anna Brereton loose on the outfield. Cuellar scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Brereton scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Brereton continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jocelyn Rodriguez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Laguna Creek pushed their record up to 12-7 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. As for McClatchy, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 7-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Laguna Creek has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like McClatchy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Laguna Creek beat McClatchy 6-2 in their previous matchup back in April. Does Laguna Creek have another victory up their sleeve, or will McClatchy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
