The Scotts Valley Falcons will challenge the Aptos Mariners at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Scotts Valley sitting on four straight victories and Aptos on six.
Scotts Valley will bounce into Thursday's match after beating San Lorenzo Valley, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Falcons skirted past the Cougars 3-2. Surprisingly, this marked the Falcons' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Sofie Seese spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Taylor Wilson was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Aptos put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Santa Cruz. The Mariners put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 14-0 win. The Mariners might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Emma Burgueno, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Cara Allshouse was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
Aptos always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .622. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Santa Cruz only posted an OBP of .238.
Aptos' victory bumped their record up to 12-5. As for Scotts Valley, their win bumped their record up to 13-5-1.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Scotts Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. However, it's not like Aptos struggles in that department as they've averaged .411. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Scotts Valley couldn't quite get it done against Aptos in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 8-4. Will the Falcons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
