The Valley Christian Warriors will head out to face off against the King's Academy Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Valley Christian 2.4, King's Academy 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Valley Christian had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 19-run drubbing they dealt Presentation on Friday. The Warriors' pitcher stepped up to hand the Panthers a 19-0 shutout. Considering the Warriors have won 13 games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Melody Gonzales tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Shyla Paredes
| 05/09/25 @ Presentation | 4 |
| 05/07/25 vs Archbishop Mitty | 1 |
| 05/06/25 @ Live Oak | 2 |
| 05/02/25 @ Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory | 1 |
| 04/30/25 @ Saint Francis | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
On the hitting side, Valley Christian got a massive performance out of Shyla Paredes, who fired off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs Paredes has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Sia Marsh, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and one stolen base.
Valley Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Presentation only posted an OBP of .222.
Meanwhile, King's Academy entered their tilt with Hillsdale on Thursday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 1-0 W against the Fighting Knights.
The result came thanks to Katia Nesper's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, King's Academy saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mia Bennette, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Valley Christian is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 18 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for King's Academy, they pushed their record up to 14-7 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
King's Academy's pitching crew better be locked in on Monday. Valley Christian hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. It's a different story for King's Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 0 home runs. Will they be able to keep Valley Christian in the park?
Valley Christian took their victory against King's Academy in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 12-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
