Softball Game Preview: Maywood Academy Nighthawks vs. Sherman Oaks CES Knights

The Maywood Academy Nighthawks will challenge the Sherman Oaks CES Knights at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Maywood Academy sitting on nine straight victories and Sherman Oaks CES on 18.

Maywood Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They put the hurt on Mendez with a sharp 13-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Nighthawks, who have now won 13 matches by ten runs or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Sherman Oaks CES made easy work of East Valley on Thursday and carried off a 27-2 victory. The Knights are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the 17th contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.

Araceli Altamirano was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 4-for-6 with one home run, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Taylor Block was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with one home run, eight RBI, and one double. Those eight RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nadia Cazares, who went 3-for-5 with four runs, three RBI, and one triple.

Sherman Oaks CES always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .660. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .532 or higher in 15 consecutive games.

Sherman Oaks CES' win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 22.9 runs over those games. As for Maywood Academy, their record is now 13-7.