The Rancho Mirage Rattlers will head out on the road to square off against the Hesperia Christian Patriots at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Rancho Mirage is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.2 runs per game this season.
Rancho Mirage is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hamilton, sneaking past 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Rattlers have posted since March 11th.
The result came thanks to Anelisa Garcia's shutout, as she gave up just four hits.
On the hitting side, Jezell Espericueta was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Hesperia Christian entered their tilt with Excelsior Charter on Thursday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 16-3 win. Considering the Patriots have won eight matchups by more than eight runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Hailey Hoffman and Charli Lewis were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Hoffman pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Lewis pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Hoffman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. At the plate, Hoffman went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Lewis went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Eden Skinner, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and one stolen base. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 2 runs per game. Zoe Espitia was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Hesperia Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They are 10-1-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Rancho Mirage has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Hesperia Christian, their win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-7-1.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rancho Mirage has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .485. However, it's not like Hesperia Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .522. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
