The Kerman Lions will square off against the Fowler Redcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Tuesday, Kerman needed a bit of extra time to put away Tulare Union. They walked away with a 13-8 victory over the Tribe. The Lions' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Roxy Alvarez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Alvarez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Jadyn Grewal and Jaymee Hick did most of the damage at the plate: Grewal scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Hick got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That's the most hits Grewal has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Allison Sanchez, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double.
Kerman kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Fowler had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured an 11-10 W against the Bears. With that win, the Redcats brought their scoring average up to 6.7 runs per game.
Mckenzie Monis was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Natalie Gonzales, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, and one triple.
The victory made it two in a row for Kerman and bumps their season record up to 4-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing ten hits in those games compared to only four in the others. As for Fowler, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Fowler's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Kerman has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Fowler, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Kerman keep running through batters, or will Fowler buck the trend?
Kerman couldn't quite finish off Fowler when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 7-5. Will Kerman have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
