The Hoover Patriots will take on the Fresno Warriors at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Fresno will be up against a hot Hoover team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. The Patriots never let Madera South get on the board and left with an 11-0 win on Friday. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by eight runs or more this season.
Hazel Martinez made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI.
Bellatriz Braun
| 04/25/25 @ Madera South | 5 |
| 03/11/25 @ Mendota | 2 |
| 04/23/25 vs Torres | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Roosevelt | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Fresno | 1 |
In other batting news, Hoover got a massive performance out of Bellatriz Braun, who went 2-for-4 with five stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those five stolen bases gave Braun a new career-high. Keilana Duron was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Hoover kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.6.
Meanwhile, Fresno made easy work of San Joaquin Memorial on Friday and carried off a 24-0 victory. That 24 run margin sets a new team best for the Warriors this season.
The team relied heavily on Emily Navarro, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Susan Dominguez, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Hoover pushed their record up to 9-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Fresno, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-10-1.
Fresno's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Hoover has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Fresno, though, as they've been averaging only 3.5 strikeouts. Will Hoover keep running through batters, or will the Warriors buck the trend?
Hoover was able to grind out a solid victory over Fresno in their previous matchup on April 4th, winning 7-2. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
