The Valor Christian Eagles will challenge the Lakewood Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Valor Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
Valor Christian's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. Everything went their way against Ralston Valley as Valor Christian made off with a 13-0 win. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Elizabeth Canales made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Kendall Ferguson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a double. Another player making a difference was Caitlin Taylor, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Valor Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Lakewood ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They skirted past Bear Creek 9-8. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Tigers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Like Valor Christian, Lakewood also got a great game from a two-way player: NeVaeh Roybal. On the mound, she pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Roybal has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Lucy Retzer was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4. Abriella Aguilar was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Valor Christian's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-4. As for Lakewood, their victory ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-13.
Lakewood's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Valor Christian has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Lakewood, though, as they've been averaging 10.9. Given Valor Christian's sizable advantage in that area, Lakewood will need to find a way to close that gap.
Valor Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Lakewood in their previous matchup two weeks ago, winning 3-0. Does Valor Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lakewood turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
