The Madera Coyotes will square off against the Centennial Golden Hawks at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Madera is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 16-2 margin over Justin Garza on Tuesday. With that victory, the Coyotes brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Viviana Nombrano made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sadie Gonzalez, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. What's more, she posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Savana Cortez, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Madera hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Centennial brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Bakersfield an 18-0 shutout on Wednesday. That looming 18-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Golden Hawks yet this season.
Centennial got a massive performance out of Alex Andersen, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, one run, and one double. Leah Barboza was another key player, scoring three runs while going 4-for-4.
Madera is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Centennial, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Madera has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Madera was able to grind out a solid win over Centennial when the teams last played back in February of 2020, winning 6-1. Will the Coyotes repeat their success, or do the Golden Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
