Nordhoff hasn't had much luck against Santa Paula recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. Nordhoff will face off against Santa Paula at 3:30 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Nordhoff barely beat Malibu the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Nordhoff blew past Malibu 11-5 on Friday. Considering the Rangers have won four matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Weston Haley was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, Andres Perez was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jaxson Middough, who scored three runs and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Santa Paula). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Hueneme a 9-0 shutout on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Cardinals have posted against the Vikings since March 18, 2022.
The result came thanks to Isaak Medina's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks. That one hit allowed gave him a new career-low.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aaron Gonzalez, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Jesse Chavez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Nordhoff is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. Santa Paula pushed their record up to 4-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nordhoff has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Santa Paula struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Nordhoff might still be hurting after the 8-2 loss they got from Santa Paula in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Nordhoff avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
