The Valley Christian Warriors will take on the Soquel Knights at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The last three games Valley Christian has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Valley Christian is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Bellarmine College Prep just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Thursday. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (3-1), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss they have suffered since May 22, 2024.
Valley Christian got a good showing from Rohan Kasanagottu, who pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Kasanagottu has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Soquel came tearing into Thursday's contest with 14 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They had just enough and edged out the Pirates 9-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted against the Pirates since April 22, 2022.
Nativo Gonzalez tossed a big game, striking out six batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk).
At the plate, Noah Piona was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Sam Whelan was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI.
Soquel pushed their record up to 25-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Valley Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 23-6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valley Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Soquel struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
