St. Helena is 8-2 against Clear Lake since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Saints will take on the Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
St. Helena came out on top against Upper Lake on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive 11-run fourth inning. The Saints' pitcher stepped up to hand the Cougars a 15-0 shutout. The victory was nothing new for the Saints as they're now sitting on nine straight.
Journey Penterman
| 04/18/25 @ Upper Lake | 3 |
| 02/26/25 @ Windsor | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Lower Lake | 1 |
| 04/07/25 vs Middletown | 1 |
| 03/26/25 @ Salesian College Preparatory | 1 |
Journey Penterman was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tahlia Smith, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: St. Helena kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Clear Lake). They put the hurt on Middletown with a sharp 20-5 win on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won four in a row.
Atiana Patino made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Patino was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Clear Lake let Karsyn Greer and Faith Mcintire run wild. Greer got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, three RBI, and one double, while Mcintire got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Cali Albaum, who went 1-for-5 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
St. Helena's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Clear Lake, their record is now 6-4.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Helena has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Clear Lake struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went St. Helena's way against Clear Lake when the teams last played back in March, as St. Helena made off with a 15-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Saints since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
