The Lompoc Braves will venture away from home to face off against the St. Joseph Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Lompoc 3.2, St. Joseph 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Lompoc is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest loss since March 11th on Wednesday. They came up short against Arroyo Grande, falling 7-0. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Braves' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph entered their tilt with Righetti on Wednesday with nine consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with ten. They put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 8-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won six games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Taylor Mediano made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Seleny Chavez was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Emma Cruddas also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
St. Joseph kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
St. Joseph's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-4. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Lompoc, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-8 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Lompoc hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like St. Joseph struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
