The Atwater Falcons will take on the Central Valley Hawks at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Atwater is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.3 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Atwater made easy work of Buhach Colony and carried off a 19-5 win. Considering the Falcons have won 15 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Madi Hiler, who fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-5. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in March of 2024. Kaydence Armando was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI.
Atwater always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .692. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Central Valley and Ceres had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Hawks lost 19-3 to the Bulldogs on Wednesday.
Central Valley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brooklynn Steeley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
The victory made it two in a row for Atwater and bumps their season record up to 20-6. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs in those games. As for Central Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-13.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Atwater hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .357. However, it's not like Central Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Atwater skirted past Central Valley 5-4 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
