After both having extra time off, the Evergreen Valley Cougars and the James Lick Comets will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Evergreen Valley made easy work of Gunderson and carried off a 12-4 victory. Considering the Cougars have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Mackenzie Brongiel
| 04/18/25 vs Gunderson | 14 |
| 04/15/25 vs Independence | 7 |
| 04/11/25 @ Mt. Pleasant | 13 |
| 04/10/25 @ Silver Creek | 14 |
| 04/04/25 vs Yerba Buena | 10 |
| + 5 more games |
Mackenzie Brongiel made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ariella Solorio was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Sakura Roberts, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one triple.
James Lick came out on top against Yerba Buena last Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive 17-run second inning. The Comets were the clear victors by an 18-3 margin over the Aztec Warriors. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Jocelyn Perez and Marlie Haro did most of the damage at the plate: Perez went a perfect 2-for-2 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one triple, while Haro got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That triple was Perez's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jada Cruz, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
James Lick always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .839. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Evergreen Valley and bumps their season record up to 6-8. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for James Lick, their win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-7.
James Lick's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Evergreen Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for James Lick, though, as they've been averaging only 1.9 strikeouts. Will Evergreen Valley keep running through batters, or will the Comets buck the trend?
Everything went Evergreen Valley's way against James Lick when the teams last played back in March, as Evergreen Valley made off with a 12-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
