The King's Academy Knights will head out to face off against the Salinas Cowboys at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. King's Academy will be looking to extend their current 13-game winning streak.
King's Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They skirted past Destiny Christian Academy 5-4. That's two games straight that the Knights have won by just one run.
Katia Nesper
| 06/03/25 @ Destiny Christian Academy | 14 |
| 05/31/25 vs Gilroy | 12 |
| 05/27/25 vs Live Oak | 18 |
| 05/24/25 vs Hollister | 18 |
| 05/15/25 vs Burlingame | 11 |
| + 12 more games |
Katia Nesper made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Mia Bennette was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sophie Giles, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Salinas, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They came out on top against Casa Grande by a score of 5-2 on Tuesday.
Abi Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kelsie Domenighini, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI. Those two triples gave her a new career-high.
Salinas is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for King's Academy, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 22-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. King's Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Salinas struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
King's Academy couldn't quite finish off Salinas when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
