The Valencia Vikings will challenge the Saugus Centurions at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Valencia 3.3, Saugus 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Valencia barely beat Hart the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Hawks on Tuesday. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Hawks recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Carly Kearns
| 04/15/25 vs Hart | 12 |
| 04/02/25 vs Granada Hills Charter | 7 |
| 04/01/25 @ Golden Valley | 7 |
| 03/27/25 @ Canyon | 9 |
| 03/25/25 vs West Ranch | 5 |
| + 2 more games |
Carly Kearns spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sydney Bolder and Blair Rune did most of the damage at the plate: Bolder scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Rune went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrie Jensen, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Valencia kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Saugus came tearing into Tuesday's game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Cowboys. Five seems to be a good number for the Centurions as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Saugus also got a great performance from Taliya Mata as she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Amelia Johnson, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Savanna Smith was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Saugus pushed their record up to 18-4 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Valencia, their win bumped their record up to 9-5.
Saugus' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Valencia has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Saugus, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Valencia keep running through batters, or will the Centurions buck the trend?
Valencia might still be hurting after the 13-0 loss they got from Saugus in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
