The Western Hills Cougars will challenge the Diamond Hill-Jarvis Eagles at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Western Hills made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Dunbar, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Western Hills' pitcher stepped up to hand Dunbar a 16-0 shutout on Friday. That looming 16-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Addison Dudley made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Dudley was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Western Hills let Sophia Castellanos and Eva Almendarez run wild. Castellanos scored three runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances, while Almendarez scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2. Almendarez also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Leslie Bustamante, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-1.
Western Hills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .526. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .417 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Diamond Hill-Jarvis came into Friday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Southwest with a sharp 17-7 victory on Friday. Considering the Eagles have won seven matches by more than eight runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Kassandra Moreno was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged two or more in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Viviana Reta, who scored three runs and stole Four bases. while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Western Hills has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. Diamond Hill-Jarvis now has a winning record of 7-6.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Western Hills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .591. However, it's not like Diamond Hill-Jarvis struggles in that department as they've averaged .697. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Western Hills skirted past Diamond Hill-Jarvis 11-9 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Does Western Hills have another victory up their sleeve, or will Diamond Hill-Jarvis turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
