The Norco Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Centennial Huskies at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Norco 2.6, Centennial 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Norco is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 10-6 win over Paloma Valley on Saturday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Cougars needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Trent Schlim looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Ryan Farias was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Daniel Luther also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Norco was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Centennial, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top against Brea Olinda by a score of 13-10 on Wednesday. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Huskies, who until this matchup were averaging 3.92 runs allowed.
The team relied heavily on Charles Rogers, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Padilla, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Norco has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Centennial, their record now sits at 11-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Norco has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Norco couldn't quite finish off Centennial when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 11-9. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
