After both having extra time off, the Shadow Hills Knights and the Palm Desert Aztecs will shake off the rust and duke it out at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Shadow Hills' pitching crew has only allowed 1.7 runs per game this season, so Palm Desert's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Shadow Hills will bounce into Tuesday's match after beating La Quinta, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Knights won by a run and slipped past the Blackhawks 4-3.
Ava Valenzuela
| 04/18/25 vs La Quinta | 6 |
| 04/15/25 @ La Quinta | 7 |
| 03/31/25 @ Poly | 10 |
| 03/27/25 vs Astoria | 5 |
| 03/25/25 @ Rancho Mirage | 13 |
| + 9 more games |
Ava Valenzuela spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Shadow Hills saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Perez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, while Palm Desert put up plenty of runs last Thursday, the same can't be said for Xavier Prep. The Aztecs blew past the Saints 22-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Aztecs.
Gwyneth Kitagawa was incredible, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Rice, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBI.
Palm Desert always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .795. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Shadow Hills pushed their record up to 15-3 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Palm Desert, their record now sits at 9-11.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Shadow Hills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .483. However, it's not like Palm Desert struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shadow Hills took their victory against Palm Desert in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
