Softball Game Preview: Foothills Christian Knights vs. Maranatha Christian Eagles

The Foothills Christian Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Maranatha Christian Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Foothills Christian came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 10-0 to Escondido Charter. The Knights have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Meanwhile, Maranatha Christian had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Caimans with a sharp 13-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won four games by ten runs or more so far this season.

Lillian Visser made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, Maranatha Christian let Hope Fitzherbert and Asiah Boehm run wild. Fitzherbert scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Boehm scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Boehm a new career-high in RBI (three). Shanelle Boehm also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Maranatha Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .476. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matchups.

Foothills Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Maranatha Christian, their record now sits at 4-5.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foothills Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Maranatha Christian 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.

Foothills Christian beat Maranatha Christian 3-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.