The Coastal Academy Stingrays will challenge the Tri-City Christian Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Coastal Academy's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Tri-City Christian's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Coastal Academy's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Francis Parker. The result was nothing new for the Stingrays, who have now won five contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Coastal Academy got a massive performance out of Cayla Contreras, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Mikenzie Trevino also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Coastal Academy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Francis Parker struck out seven times.
Meanwhile, Tri-City Christian entered their tilt with El Camino on Wednesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 5-1. While the Eagles didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Marissa Chronic made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
Chronic wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Arantxa Espejo, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Kaedyn Ybarra was another, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Coastal Academy pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Tri-City Christian, their record now sits at 7-1-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Coastal Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Tri-City Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .403. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Coastal Academy skirted past Tri-City Christian 9-8 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Stingrays repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
