Softball Game Preview: Hesperia Christian Patriots vs. Bethel Christian Kings

The Hesperia Christian Patriots are taking a road trip to take on the Bethel Christian Kings at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Hesperia Christian took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Everything went their way against Lucerne Valley as they made off with a 20-2 victory. That 18 run margin sets a new team best for the Patriots this season.

Charli Lewis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.

Eden Skinner

Home Runs

04/04/25 vs Lucerne Valley	1
04/02/25 @ Western Christian	1
03/20/25 vs University Prep	1

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Eden Skinner, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and one triple. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Josslyn VanderWeide, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.

Hesperia Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .542. They are 4-1-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Meanwhile, Bethel Christian had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They put the hurt on the Crusaders with a sharp 19-7 win. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.

Bethel Christian's record is now 8-5. As for Hesperia Christian, the victory got them back to even at 6-6-1.

Everything went Hesperia Christian's way against Bethel Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Hesperia Christian made off with a 17-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.