The Pinecrest Academy Cadence Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Clark Chargers at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Pinecrest Academy Cadence has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Clark will arrive with four straight wins.
Pinecrest Academy Cadence is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 16 runs last Monday, they were much more limited against Rancho on Tuesday. They came up short against the Rams, falling 17-2. That's two games in a row now that the Cougars have lost by exactly 15 runs.
Pinecrest Academy Cadence saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Destiny Aguilar, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Clark). They were the clear victors by a 29-8 margin over Eldorado on Wednesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Alex Spatharos was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. Spatharos was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
In other batting news, Clark got a massive performance out of Paola Garcia, who got on base in five of her six plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most stolen bases Garcia has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Alizon Abad Macedo, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Clark kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive contests.
Clark's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 20.0 runs over those games. As for Pinecrest Academy Cadence, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pinecrest Academy Cadence has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .537. However, it's not like Clark struggles in that department as they've averaged .579. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pinecrest Academy Cadence might still be hurting after the 20-11 loss they got from Clark in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
