The Foothill Cougars will square off against the Fernley Vaqueros at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Foothill is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
While Foothill's win against University Prep wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Cougars had just enough and edged out the Panthers 7-6. The victory was familiar territory for the Cougars, who have now won three matchups in a row.
Elisea Wiegand
| 04/25/25 vs University Prep | 9 |
| 04/23/25 vs Chico | 10 |
| 04/10/25 @ Pleasant Valley | 5 |
| 04/08/25 vs Shasta | 18 |
| 04/03/25 vs University Prep | 16 |
| + 8 more games |
Elisea Wiegand made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rylee Vakulich, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Sophie Hooks was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Foothill kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Fernley beat Red Bluff 8-3 on Friday.
Taylor Tollestrup was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Ximena Rodriguez, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Fernley has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Foothill, their victory bumped their record up to 15-4-1.
Saturday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Foothill hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Fernley struggles in that department as they've averaged .394. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Foothill's way against Fernley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Foothill made off with a 13-0 win. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vaqueros turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
